SALT LAKE CITY, UTAH - OCTOBER 28: Darryn Peterson #22 of the Utah Jazz drives past Devin Vassell #24 of the San Antonio Spurs during the first half of a game at Delta Center on October 28, 2026 in Salt Lake City, Utah. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Alex Goodlett/Getty Images) | Getty Images Grant Nielson Thu, October 29, 2026 at 6:01 AM UTC · 5 min read About Our Ads Advertisement Advertisement Advertisement Without Lauri Markkanen, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jusuf Nurkic, I sat down to watch this game out of necessity rather than anticipation. Victor Wembanyama has mastered the art of beating up on teams that cannot match up physically, and I don't think a center rotation of Jaxson Hayes and Mo Bamba was striking much fear into his heart. Let's get this one over it, and be one day closer to the return of our all-stars.
I am happy to report that my pessimism was, more or less, unfounded. Until the very end of overtime, the score fluctuated between a solid Jazz lead and a tie. What really made this an enjoying watch, however, was not the competitiveness itself but rather the means that led us to that outcome. The Jazz were carried by their three young pillars, and each was very consistently showing flashes throughout the game. Ace Bailey demonstrated strong mid-range scoring ability, with many sets run for him similar to what you'd expect to see run for a healthy Lauri Markkanen. Keyonte George was effective as the clear leader and offensive #1, scoring from all three levels. And Darryn Peterson, in my opinion, flashed the most ball-handling, shot-making juice that we have seen out of him thus far. Below you can find the clear highlight of the game:
However, this underdog victory was not meant to be, for two primary reasons. The first, and most obvious, was the immense talent differential between the two squads. The Spurs essentially rolled out the team that nearly won them an NBA championship the year prior, and the Jazz put out a team that is arguably worse on paper than its 22 win 2025-2026 squad. Victor Wembanyama was the clear best player on the game, and he played like it. He seemed to sleepwalk his way to 36 points and 14 rebounds; this was not close to the intensity that he was displaying during the playoffs last season. They were missing their threes and Dylan Harper was struggling with efficiency, but San Antonio won the firepower game tonight, and it became clear once we hit overtime; the Jazz were struggling to find good shots (Brice made two threes, but they were tough ones), and the Spurs seemed to collectively "lock in" and take control.
However, even with this talent difference, this loss was far from guaranteed, up until the bitter end. Instead, it felt like odd coaching decisions that put the final nail in the coffin. Will Hardy is taking his lumps adjusting to winning basketball just as much as any of the players, and it showed tonight. Injuries are surely a factor, but one consistent mistake he's been making is playing entirely bench lineups for extended periods of time. Tonight, around the third quarter, the Jazz gave up a mini-run because Isaiah Collier was left as the lone ball handler with Ace, Keyonte, and Darryn riding the bench, Even less defensible was his overtime lineup choices. He began overtime with Isaiah Collier and Brice Sensabaugh as the backcourt with Keyonte and Darryn on the bench (we've been fined for less!), and even though Keyonte eventually came back in after a couple minutes of rest, Darryn Peterson did not find his way onto to the court for the remainder of the game. He explained (or at least attempted to explain) his rationale below:
This is rather incomprehensible to me. What better developmental reps can Darryn Peterson be given than those in overtime against the defending Western Conference champions? It's not as if he was struggling tonight – he dropped an efficient-enough 18 points, and continued to provide impact on the margins. I understand the desire to get Sensabaugh in the game; he is, at this point, the superior isolation scorer to Darryn Peterson, and he had a bit of a hot hand. However, if Darryn is ever going to learn how to consistently score in isolation against strong defenses, he has to be given the opportunity to try his hand. Perhaps, on the bench, he was beginning to display some of the symptoms of a concussion that he may have sustained on a hard fit to the face from Victor Wembanyama. However, this is the only understandable excuse that I can conceive to explain why, on an injury riddled team in a game that went to overtime, our prestigious prospect played only 26 minutes.
I was a big fan of Josh Okogie's activity tonight (but not a big enough fan to agree with him playing more minutes than Darryn Peterson). 9 rebounds in 28 minutes as a 6'4 guard is game altering.
Mo Bamba was less eye-catchingly good, but he still provided perfectly respectable backup center minutes. He may be one of the better third string centers in the league when Nurkic returns.
Ace's touch is nice, but sometimes he does seem to rely on it rather than getting all the way to the rim. 0 free throws is quite unfortunate.
What stood out to you from the Jazz's game against the Spurs? Sound off below!
Source: Sports
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