The Utah Jazz are still searching for their first win of the NBA season as they host the San Antonio Spurs on Thursday night in Salt Lake City. The Jazz (0-4) will face a one-win Spurs team that played in Oklahoma City on Wednesday night and will arrive in Utah late for the second game of a back-to-back.
Utah is currently the only winless team in the league after Detroit secured its first victory against Philadelphia on Wednesday. San Antonio struggled in their 105-93 loss to Oklahoma City, shooting just 41.2 percent from the field in their lowest-scoring game of the season. The Spurs managed only 44 points in the first half against the undefeated Thunder. Victor Wembanyama, the 2024 Rookie of the Year, had a career-low six points on 1-of-5 shooting with four turnovers.
The Jazz’s early-season woes include a tough shooting start for second-year guard Keyonte George, who has shot just 26.2 percent from the field and 22.6 percent from beyond the arc in Utah’s four losses. However, George contributed 11 assists in Utah’s 113-96 loss to the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, trying to make an impact despite his shooting slump. Coach Will Hardy advised George not to let his shooting struggles get him down, encouraging him to treat himself with the same patience he would extend to others.
Injuries have hit the Jazz hard. On Monday, they lost promising second-year player Taylor Hendricks to a season-ending leg injury. Then, on Tuesday, their best player, Lauri Markkanen, left the game early due to lower back spasms and is listed as day-to-day.
The injuries are providing extra minutes for rookies Cody Williams and Kyle Filipowski. Williams hit three 3-pointers for nine points against Sacramento, while Filipowski added 12 points and eight rebounds. The Jazz will be hoping their young players can step up and help secure their first win of the season against the Spurs.
