SAN ANTONIO — In an exciting matchup on Thursday night, Harrison Barnes led the San Antonio Spurs to a 126-118 victory over the Utah Jazz, finishing the game with 25 points and 10 rebounds. Notable performances also came from rookie Stephon Castle, who contributed 18 points, and Zach Collins, who added 18 points as well. Chris Paul played a significant role as well, registering 13 points alongside 10 assists, showcasing his ability to facilitate the game.

For Utah, Lauri Markkanen was the standout player, scoring 27 points, while Keyonte George chipped in with 19 points. Unfortunately for the Jazz, this loss marked their fourth consecutive defeat. The Jazz were without their key players, Victor Wembanyama and Devin Vassell, who missed their third game due to minor knee injuries. Wembanyama is dealing with a bruised right knee, whereas Vassell has soreness in his left knee. Acting head coach Mitch Johnson was optimistic about their impending returns, indicating that they should be back “really soon.”

The Spurs faced a slow start after an emotional win against Oklahoma City on Tuesday. Charles Bassey emerged as a critical player for San Antonio, contributing 11 points, eight rebounds, and setting a career-high with six blocks. Despite facing an 18-point deficit early in the second half, the Spurs rallied back. They dominated the third quarter, outscoring the Jazz 34-22 and completing the comeback with a strong performance in the fourth quarter, scoring the first four points to equalize the game at 89, ultimately outpacing Utah with a 41-29 scoring surge in the last period.

A key moment in this game was Bassey’s fifth block against Kyle Filipowski late in the third quarter. Following that defensive play, Bassey managed to save a Spurs possession by tiptoeing along the baseline, culminating in him scoring off an alley-oop from Tre Jones. This sequence was pivotal, reducing Utah’s lead to just 88-82 with only 1:07 remaining in the quarter.

A noteworthy statistic from the game is that San Antonio is already at eight wins this season (8-8), whereas last year, they didn’t secure their eighth victory until January 20, when they managed a 131-127 win against the Washington Wizards, which left them with a record of 8-34.

Looking ahead, the Jazz will be hosting the New York Knicks, while the Spurs will face the Golden State Warriors to conclude their three-game homestand, both games scheduled for Saturday.