Game Preview: San Antonio Spurs vs. Utah Jazz

The San Antonio Spurs won their first NBA Cup game with a gritty, impressive performance from a depleted roster. They will count on their depth when they receive Utah Jazz without Victor Wembanyama, Devin Vassell and Jeremy Sochan. Fill-in starter Zach Collins is also on the injury report as questionable, meaning the Spurs may have to open up their rotation even more.

The Jazz aren’t as tough as the Oklahoma City Thunder, but they can’t be overlooked. The Spurs dropped their last game against the Jazz, accounting for one of the team’s three wins. The Jazz will be without their starting center, Walker Kessler, and potentially hot shooting guard Jordan Clarkson, who is listed as questionable.

San Antonio is one game away from an even record as they try to push into the top 10 in the Western Conference. These two teams also meet next week in a higher-stakes NBA Cup matchup. Even without their leading scorers, Spurs have proven they can compete. A narrow-handed win could set the tone for next week’s NBA Cup game.

San Antonio Spurs (7-8) vs. Utah Jazz (3-11)

November 21, 2024 | 7 p.m. CT

Watch: FanDuel Sports |Listen: WOAI (12 p.m.)

Spurs Injuries: Victor Wembanyama – Out (knee), Jeremy Sochan – Out (thumb), Devin Vassell – Out (knee), Zach Collins – Doubtful (knee), Chris Paul – Probable (thumb), David Duke Jr. – Out (G League), Riley Minix – Out (G League), Harrison Ingram – Out (G League)

Jazz injuries: Jordan Clarkson – Doubtful (Foot), Taylor Hendricks – Out (Fibula), Walker Kessler – Out (Hip), Micah Potter – Out (G League), Jason Preston – Out (G League), Oscar Tshiebwe – Out (G League) , Collin Sexton – Available (finger)

What to look out for:

Charles Bassey’s opportunity

Bassey had a great game in the Spurs’ win over the Thunder on Wednesday. The big man had 12 points, 8 rebounds and 2 blocks off the bench. He saw several minutes with Wembanyama missing games due to a knee contusion. Now, Collins could miss some time with a knee problem, which means Bassey should have even more opportunities to work his way into the starting rotation. He will likely start in place of Collins and should be effective as a rim defender, dribbler and lob threat.

Can Stephon Castle lead?

The ball was very much in Castle’s hands on Wednesday. The results were mixed. Castle made some big plays down the stretch, but also made plenty of mistakes. He had 10 points and 8 assists, but on 3-13 shooting with 6 turnovers. Without Wembanyama and Vassell, the ball will be in his, Chris Paul’s and Keldon Johnson’s hands. Against a porous Jazz defense that just allowed fellow rookie Dalton Knecht to have a career-high, Castle will have plenty of opportunities to score.

Three-point shooting

San Antonio has become a good three-point shooting team over the last few games. They are 16th in three-point percentage (35.7%) and 10th in threes made per game (14.1). Meanwhile, the Jazz are in the bottom half of the league in protecting the deep ball, allowing teams to shoot 37.2% from deep and get 13.1 a game. Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and the rest of the Spurs shooters should look good on Thursday.