With youngster Stephon Castle scoring 18 points and Harrison Barnes scoring 25 points and grabbing 10 rebounds, the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz 126-118 on Thursday night, their second consecutive victory without Victor Wembanyama. Chris Paul scored 13 points and dished out 10 assists for San Antonio, while Zach Collins contributed 18 points.

Utah suffered its fourth consecutive defeat, with Lauri Markkanen scoring 27 points and Keyonte George contributing 19. Due to minor knee ailments, Wembanyama and Devin Vassell missed their third consecutive game. Vassell's left knee is painful, and Wembanyama's right knee is bruised. Both should return "really soon," according to San Antonio interim head coach Mitch Johnson. Following an emotional victory over Oklahoma City on Tuesday, San Antonio began to recover gradually.  Spurs center Charles Bassey provided the needed spark, finishing with 11 points, eight rebounds and a career-high six blocks.