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Spurs continue white-hot pace, down Hawks

Dec 11, 2010 - 6:11 AM San Antonio, TX (Sports Network) - Richard Jefferson scored 18 points and hit three straight three-point shots in a fourth-quarter display, leading the red- hot San Antonio Spurs to a 108-92 victory over the Atlanta Hawks.

Jefferson went 6-of-8 from the field and 5-of-6 from long distance for the Spurs, who have won 18 of their last 20 games to improve to an NBA-best 19-3.

Manu Ginobili also had 18, while Tony Parker registered 17 points. DeJuan Blair scored 16 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, while Tim Duncan had 12 and was able to rest down the stretch.

"We definitely played better defense in the fourth quarter," Parker said. "They were playing well, they were making shots and we had a lot of turnovers tonight so it made it difficult on us. In the fourth quarter, we got better."

San Antonio has dominated the Hawks at home, winning 13 straight over Atlanta since Duncan was drafted in 1997.

Al Horford provided 19 points and nine rebounds for the Hawks, who had won seven of eight coming in. Jamal Crawford had a game-high 23 points, while Marvin Williams and Josh Smith both had 15 in defeat.

Atlanta held a 73-71 lead early in the fourth, but San Antonio turned it on down the stretch.

"We had some turnovers late that kind of hurt us," Crawford said. "But other than that, I thought we played a good game. To get a lead on a team like that in the fourth quarter says you played a good game, but we had some key turnovers that cost us late."

The Spurs went on an 18-6 run to take full control. Ginobili began the run with five straight points to put the hosts ahead for good, and three consecutive free throws from George Hill made it an 80-75 game with 8 1/2 minutes left.

Jefferson capped the spurt with 5 1/2 minutes left, hitting the first of his three-point attempts in the period for an 89-79 lead.

The Hawks made a push to cut the deficit to five, but Hill and Jefferson answered with back-to-back three-pointers for an 11-point margin with three minutes to go. Jefferson drained another three a minute later for a 102-88 lead, and San Antonio cruised to the finish line.

The Spurs held a 26-21 lead after one quarter and maintained their five-point deficit, 53-48, at halftime.

San Antonio went nearly five minutes during the third quarter without a field goal, and Atlanta took advantage with a 9-2 run.

Horford's jumper with four minutes left had the Hawks within 63-62, and Atlanta trailed by two, 71-69, heading to the fourth after Williams drilled a three at the buzzer.

Game Notes

The Spurs moved to 4-0 on a six-game homestand after shooting 53.2 percent...Atlanta shot 45.0 percent...San Antonio is off to its best start in franchise history after 22 games...Hill scored 16 off the bench.