• Preview
• Recap
• Bleachers
• Game Tracker

Jazz snap Spurs' 11-game winning streak

Apr 10, 2012 - 5:45 AM Salt Lake City, UT (Sports Network) - Devin Harris netted a game-high 25 points as the Utah Jazz snapped the San Antonio Spurs' second 11-game win streak of the year with a 91-84 decision at EnergySolutions Arena.

Paul Millsap added 18 points and 10 rebounds, while Gordon Hayward had 16 points and Al Jefferson contributed 12 points and 10 boards for the Jazz, who won for the third time in five games.

Utah remained a game and a half behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot in the Western Conference after the Nuggets dominated the Golden State Warriors, 123-84, on Monday.

Gary Neal and Tiago Splitter scored 14 points apiece to pace San Antonio, which was playing without stars Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili as they did not travel with the team due to head coach Gregg Popovich giving them all the day off.

The Spurs also won 11 straight from January 30-February 20 earlier this season.

"We tried hard. We gave a great effort to win the game," said Splitter. "In the end of the game, we couldn't hit the shots to end the game well and they did."

San Antonio carried a 71-64 advantage into the fourth quarter and stretched its lead up to a game-high eight points soon after when Splitter went 1-for-2 from the line to make it a 75-67 game.

But Utah battled back with eight straight points to knot the game at 75 on Harris' driving layup with just under four minutes left in the game.

Neal converted on a trey and a layup around a Harris triple to go ahead, 80-78, before a personal 6-0 spurt by Harris put the Jazz on top for good.

Splitter put an end to the swing with a layup to bring the Spurs within 84-82, but Millsap dropped in a jumper on the other end and after Matt Bonner missed a three-pointer on San Antonio's ensuing possession, Millsap's putback dunk gave Utah an 88-82 lead with 43.6 seconds left and the Jazz made enough free throws down the stretch to hang on for the win.

"It took us a little while to get going, but in the fourth quarter we did what we had to do to win the ballgame," Jazz head coach Tyrone Corbin said. "We picked our defense up and thank goodness Devin (Harris) was making some shots down the stretch for us."

A highly competitive first quarter that saw five ties ended with the Jazz carrying a 23-19 advantage into the second.

Derrick Favors' three-point play opened the second to stretch Utah's lead up to 26-19, but the Spurs responded with a 13-4 run to take a 32-30 edge on a C.J. Mills shot from beyond the arc.

The remainder of the half saw three lead changes and four ties before a pair of Hayward free throws gave the Jazz a 47-44 lead at the break.

San Antonio then stayed within two possessions over the first six minutes of the third until a 9-4 spurt put the Spurs ahead, 59-55.

Utah answered with seven straight points to retake the lead, but the Spurs closed out the half with a 9-2 run to hold a 68-64 lead into the third quarter.

Game Notes

Earlier on Monday, the Jazz announced swingman C.J. Miles is expected to miss at least a week with a strain left calf and guard Earl Watson is out indefinitely with a torn medial meniscus in his right knee...San Antonio had won five straight games against Utah entering Monday's contest...Utah committed 20 turnovers, which resulted in 25 points by the Spurs...The Jazz converted 14 San Antonio turnovers into 17 points.