The San Antonio Spurs have hit the .500 mark and are ready to put their shaky season start behind them when they meet the injury-plagued Utah Jazz in Salt Lake City on Wednesday night.
After advancing to the NBA Finals last season, the Spurs opened the new campaign with back-to-back losses. But on Tuesday, San Antonio rode an 80-point first half and a blistering shooting night from Julian Champagnie to a 130-103 home win over the Sacramento Kings.
Victor Wembanyama, who mirrored his team’s patchy early form — averaging a career-low 20 points on 36.5% shooting from the field in the first three games — was back to his best against Sacramento, compiling a game-high 29 points on a 14-of-21 clip, with 10 rebounds and five blocks in less than 27 minutes.
But the real spark came from Champagnie, who scored 24 of his 26 points in the first half. His entire first-half tally came from 3-point makes (eight), tying his own franchise record for most threes in a half.
“Sizable,” Champagnie said, laughing, when asked how big the basket looked as he drained 8-of-10 3-point attempts in the first two quarters. “My teammates did a really good job of getting me open and finding where I’m at on the court. I always give credit to them. Without them, I’m not making those shots.”
Spurs coach Mitch Johnson praised his team’s ball movement — San Antonio had 35 assists to 13 turnovers — which allowed Champagnie to capitalize on a string of open looks against the Kings.
“I thought our team did a good job of recognizing where he (Champagnie) was once he got going,” Johnson said. “We’ve had some times in the last few years when I think we’ve done a poor job of that, and not intentionally. We’ve grown in that aspect a little bit, and (Tuesday) was an example of that.”
While the Spurs appear to be hitting their stride, the Jazz were left to count the cost of two key injuries in Monday’s 110-105 home defeat to the Memphis Grizzlies.
Lauri Markkanen exited the game early in the first quarter with a right wrist injury, and Jaren Jackson Jr. went off with a right knee injury in the second period.
That’s two of Utah’s top three scorers this season.
Markkanen and Jaxson Hayes (shoulder) are questionable to face San Antonio. Jackson appeared in three games for the Jazz last season due to an injury to his other knee after being acquired in a trade from Memphis. He is expected to be sidelined for six to eight weeks after scans revealed he suffered a torn MCL vs. Memphis.
The other member of Utah’s big three — Keyonte George — scored 26 points as the Jazz’s patched-up lineup fought valiantly against the undefeated Grizzlies.
“I thought that was an awesome showing,” Utah coach Will Hardy said. “I’m so proud of the group, the way they fought. … I think the competitiveness of the team, the way they came together, speaks to the character of the group.”
Center Mo Bamba rose in the Jazz’s time of need, hustling his way to 14 points, seven rebounds and four blocks off the bench in his first game of the season.
“It’s just my job,” he said. “A wise man in this organization told me to treat every game like Game 7, every possession like Game 7.
“We have a lot of talent in this locker room. It (stinks) that our big names are down for however long they’re going to be down for. It’s just next man up.”
