Spurs fans blast these players for making too many mistakes, lose to the Jazz in Devin Vassell’s return

The San Antonio Spurs struggled to maintain consistency against the Utah Jazz after a promising start. Early in the second quarter, they managed to reclaim the lead with contributions from Victor Wembanyama, Blake Wesley, and Sandro Mamukelashvili. Wembanyama showcased some impressive moves, hinting at his potential impact, while Devin Vassell hit a few key jumpers that briefly gave the Spurs hope for a game-changing run.

However, as the quarter progressed, the Spurs began to falter. Their offense cooled down, and the early three-point success from Castle shots disappeared. Defensively, they became less disciplined, committing unnecessary fouls on Jazz shooters, allowing Utah to pick up easy points at the line. This lapse let the Jazz capitalize and build an eight-point lead going into halftime, despite strong individual efforts from players like Lauri Markkanen on Utah’s side.

With these challenges, the Spurs had trouble closing out the half effectively, leaving them trailing at the break.

The Spurs adjusted their game plan by focusing on driving to the basket after their outside shots stopped falling. Though it wasn’t the smoothest strategy, attacking the paint helped them avoid an extended scoring drought, keeping the starters within reach of the Jazz. When San Antonio’s bench players checked in, there were concerns that they might struggle as they had in the first half. Defensive miscommunications and limited shot creation were initially issues, but Devin Vassell played a stabilizing role by hitting a key shot and contributing to improved ball movement. This small lineup, which included three guards and Keldon Johnson at power forward, began to exploit gaps in Utah’s defense.

While this setup allowed Utah to score more easily inside, assistant coach Mitch Johnson seemed willing to accept that tradeoff to keep the Spurs competitive. This approach paid off, as the Spurs managed to head into the final quarter with the game tied, setting up an intense finish.