Just one night after taking down the best team in the Eastern Conference in the Detroit Pistons, the Utah Jazz would wind up getting a second-straight win on the calendar vs. the San Antonio Spurs in commanding 127-114 fashion.
Despite being on the second leg of a back-to-back, it was no problem for the Jazz to piece together the right energy for a statement double-digit win. Lauri Markkanen had 29 points on his own, Keyonte George had 28 points, and it even ended up as a strong performance for rookie Walter Clayton Jr. off the bench with his 17 points on 6-6 shooting, paired with five assists.
It makes for the Jazz’s 12th win in the regular season, all coming before the new year––a mark this team didn’t hit until February of last season, therefore showcasing some notable growth from this young core in just a few months’ time, and now proving it against a handful of talented teams around the league.
Perhaps it may be a sign of something bigger for the Jazz’s season as a whole––that being the Jazz’s potentially being on the verge of a push towards a Play-In appearance, rather than having eyes locked onto retrieving their top-eight protected pick.
Utah Jazz Might Not Be Chasing Lottery Pick After All
For the first two months of this season, a large chunk of the discussion revolving around the Jazz is how they approach their top-eight protected pick in the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Too many wins could rock the boat for Utah to eventually give up that pick to the reigning champions later this offseason in a draft that’s projected to be one of the best collections of talents in recent memory..
However, as the Jazz continue to put more wins on the board, especially against good teams, they find themselves gradually moving up the Western Conference standings. It makes you wonder whether Utah might just try to make that playoff push sooner than expected and continue to ride the positive momentum they’ve built so far this year.
Dec 27, 2025; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Utah Jazz guard Keyonte George (3) shoots ahead of San Antonio Spurs guard Devin Vassell (24) during the second half at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Scott Wachter-Imagn Images | Scott Wachter-Imagn Images
Lauri Markkanen has cemented himself as a long-term cornerstone in Utah, as has his third-year co-star in the backcourt, Keyonte George, and it seems like on any given night, at least one of the Jazz’s budding young talents has a productive performance that helps leave their mark on the game one way or another.
DID YA’LL SEE THIS @MarkkanenLauri DUNK?!? pic.twitter.com/74IzIo7kac
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) December 28, 2025
Maybe it’s too early to start questioning those Play-In chances. The Jazz front office could easily attempt to pull the plug on the operation by shipping off guys like Svi Mykhailiuk or Jusuf Nurkic, or by continuously feeding minutes to their young guys down the rotation.
Yet, now with a 12-19 record, tied for 10th in the Western Conference, and having ended the Spurs’ extensive eight-game winning streak, it’s getting harder and harder to ignore how good this team actually might be, and how high their ceiling could be as soon as this season.
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