Shorthanded Spurs tune Jazz up and the electric performance feels oddly familiar

What year is it? I wouldn't go as far as to say this team feels like it did in the early 2010s, but the culture Spurs fans are used to is returning. That culture dictates the players stick together, play with poise, and play hard no matter who is in the lineup. Gone are the days of Boris Diaw, Tiago Splitter, and Boris Diaw, but Chris Paul, Harrison Barnes, and Charles Bassey got the job done.

But it wasn't just them. The Spurs had multiple contributors, with eight players scoring in double digits to secure the victory after falling behind by 20 points in the first half. It's San Antonio's first comeback victory from a deficit that large this season. The accomplishment is special enough for such a group learning each other on the fly, but how they did it was even more impressive.

The game turned once the Spurs matched Utah's energy

The game of basketball is fascinating because, in one quarter, you can find yourself wondering if you're actually watching an NBA team. In the very next moment, that same group can look like a championship contender. The ebbs and flows of professional basketball are such that you must keep a cool head and move on to the next play. The Spurs did that in their third match against the Jazz.

At the beginning of November, SA suffered two big losses in the same night: one was losing Jeremy Sochan to injury, and the other was losing the game to the Clippers after building a 20-point lead. It was the lowest part of an otherwise encouraging start to the season.

A few weeks later, the Spurs look like a different team, and that's after already morphing into something better than last season's iteration. What we're seeing is a growth process being sped up by the presence of Chris Paul and Harrison Barnes. Their fingerprints are all over the team.

Recently, Paul spoke about how much he talks to Stephon Castle—coaching him up and encouraging the rookie to be aggressive. Even in victory, Barnes is advising Keldon Johnson on what not to do when closing out a ball game.

Tonight, more production was needed from the vets, and they delivered that, too. CP3 taught another lesson on how to shut your opponent out at the end of a close game. Paul had another double-double with 13 points and ten assists.

HB showed how to step up and play mistake-free ball, remaining steady while the rest of the team caught up. He contributed 25 points on 8/13 FG, 4/5 3PT, and 11 rebounds.

Charles Bassey was a godsend. He dominated the paint defensively with six blocks and affected more than that. After the OKC game, Bassey told reporters that his job is to bring the energy, and that's exactly what he did. This is the best version of Bassey we've seen—I like it very much. He also chipped in 11 points, eight rebounds, and a steal for good measure.

It's exactly what Spurs fans are used to when the stars sit out. The backup players step up and give the opponent a fight they are not ready for. Eight players finished the night in double digits, and it isn't the first time this season. San Antonio has depth this year, and the players are finally doing what Coach Pop has been preaching for years: playing for the full 48 minutes. What a novel concept.