Peterson and Collier lead Jazz’s balanced 119–109 win over Spurs

Darryn Peterson scored 14 points and Isaiah Collier collected five steals as Utah beat San Antonio 119–109 on Monday at the Delta Center. Seven Jazz players reached double figures, and an 18-steal defensive performance helped Utah control a game that the Spurs played without Victor Wembanyama and several other regulars.

The Jazz led 68–61 at halftime before outscoring San Antonio 31–17 in the third quarter. Their 99–78 advantage entering the fourth provided enough room to absorb a late Spurs response. Utah improved to 2–1 in the preseason, while San Antonio fell to 0–3.

Peterson helped start the decisive third-quarter stretch with a pair of short jumpers that took the lead to 72–61. After a San Antonio free throw, the rookie found Collier for a three, and Collier later set up Mo Bamba for an alley-oop.

Peterson finished with five assists and made five of his 10 field-goal attempts. Keyonte George and Jaren Jackson Jr. each scored 13. George hit five of seven shots; Jackson made six of eight. Jaxson Hayes, starting with Jusuf Nurkić sidelined, scored 11 on 4-for-5 shooting in 15 minutes.

Utah’s defensive activity produced opportunities even on a night with plenty of mistakes. Collier added 11 points and five assists to his five steals. Ace Bailey had six points, six rebounds and three steals, and George also recorded three steals. Both teams committed 22 turnovers in the final box score.

Coach Will Hardy singled out Bailey’s hands, length and improved conditioning after the game, according to the Deseret News’ Krysyan Edler. Hardy described a defender maintaining his stance and footwork while reaching into passing and dribbling lanes, rather than lunging out of position. That evaluation supplied a more specific preseason takeaway than Bailey’s six-point scoring line.

Hardy also criticized Utah’s second-quarter fouling. The Spurs attempted 24 free throws in that period, Edler reported, keeping themselves within seven at the break despite Utah’s early lead. San Antonio finished 24-for-33 at the line for the game.

Ja’Kobi Gillespie led the Spurs with 25 points, making nine of 14 shots and four of eight threes. Harrison Barnes added 19, including 10 made free throws, while Keldon Johnson scored 15. Rookie Tarris Reed Jr. collected 17 rebounds, eight on the offensive end.

Utah’s next exhibition is Friday at Phoenix. Its final home preseason game offered encouraging defensive possessions from Bailey and Collier, balanced scoring and a productive third quarter. Hardy’s concerns about fouls and the team’s turnover total leave concrete work for the remaining preparation.

Sources

ESPN: final box score and play-by-play · Bailey’s defense and Jazz postgame takeaways · Jazz 119, Spurs 109