Devin Vassell scored 31 points, while Victor Wembanyama contributed 19 points and blocked five shots, leading the San Antonio Spurs to a 118-111 victory over the Utah Jazz on Wednesday night.
“Vassell is becoming a real challenge for defenses,” said Wembanyama. “It’s great to see his growth throughout the year.”
The Spurs, ranked second in the league for assists behind Indiana, had their season-high with 40 assists on 44 field goals. They also shot 51.8% from the field and were above .500 from 3-point range until their final four attempts.
“That’s what we do as Spurs … Pop preaches it all the time,” said Vassell about coach Gregg Popovich. “We were making shots today, and everyone was sharing the ball.”
Jeremy Sochan, Julian Champagnie, and Malaki Branham each scored 17 points for San Antonio, but Vassell was the main driving force.
“Get to my spots, get downhill, pick them apart. If they’re trapping me, I can find the open man,” said Vassell, who also contributed six assists. Popovich praised Vassell’s performance at both ends of the court.
Collin Sexton had 26 points and nine assists, and Lauri Markkanen scored 25 points for the Jazz, who suffered their seventh consecutive loss. The Jazz trailed for most of the game and only led once.
“We were sluggish on both offense and defense,” said Markkanen. “Every mistake adds up, and that’s how they went on a run.”
Utah cut the lead to 115-111 late in the game, but San Antonio sealed the win with free throws and a crucial block from Wembanyama. “It was a bad decision,” Wembanyama said of the dunk attempt at the end of the game.
The Spurs have shown significant improvement recently, beating the Phoenix Suns on Monday and playing efficiently against the Jazz. “We’re improving every day,” said Vassell. “Since the All-Star break, we’ve been a different team.”
On the other hand, the Jazz have struggled since the All-Star break, currently holding the worst record in the league. They used 12 players in the first quarter, the most this season.
“We lacked intensity, physicality, and focus,” said Utah coach Will Hardy. “We dug ourselves into a big hole early in the game.”
San Antonio dominated early, leading by as many as 19 points in the first half. Wembanyama’s block and subsequent alley-oop dunk exemplified his impact, giving the Spurs a commanding lead.
