by Kimya Oliver
The Utah Jazz fell short to the San Antonio Spurs by a final score of 104-102.
The Crossover: Utah Jazz by the Numbers
The Jazz opened the first quarter on an 18-9 run. The offensive momentum was flowing for the Jazz with Royce O’Neale finding Hassan Whiteside cutting to the basket for the layup to gain a 22-15 lead.
The Spurs went on a 12-5 run to tie the score at 27-27. With the time running down, Mike Conley made a pass to Rudy Gay for the shot from beyond the arc.
Conley pulled up from three and was fouled in the act of shooting with 2.4 seconds left in the quarter. Conley made all three free throws, but a shot from downtown by Dejounte Murray beat the buzzer. The first quarter ended with the Jazz leading 33-30.
Rudy Gobert found Jordan Clarkson for a shot from beyond the arc to start the second quarter. The Jazz gained a seven-point lead with 4:40 left in the first half.
Gobert set a screen to to create space for Mitchell to score from downtown. The second quarter ended with the Jazz leading 59-50.
Mitchell found Gobert cutting to the basket for the dunk. The Spurs opened the third quarter on a 10-4 run to cut the Jazz lead to 63-60.
O’Neale hit beyond the arc to give the Jazz some offensive momentum. The third quarter ended with the Jazz leading 74-64.
Traveling: The Jazz lose close road game in San Antonio
Clarkson drove to the basket and made the floater to start the final quarter. The Spurs fought back to tie the ball game at 84-84 with 5:30 left on the clock.
The final minute of the ball game was like cat and mouse. The Spurs hit a jump shot to gain a three-point lead, but then Mitchell hit a step-back jump shot to cut the lead to one point. The Spurs continued to sink free throws to win the game.
The Daily Double-Double
Mitchell finished with 24 points and Clarkson finished with 17 points. Gobert and Whiteside both recorded double-doubles. Gobert had 13 points and 16 rebounds. Whiteside also had 13 points along with 10 rebounds.
Bounce Pass: Up Next
The Jazz face the Sacramento Kings on March 12, 2022 at 7 p.m. MST.
Featured image courtesy Eric Gay/AP Photo