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Jazz-Spurs Preview

Nov 19, 2009 - 7:39 AM By MATT BEARDMORE STATS Writer

Utah (5-6) at San Antonio (4-5), 8:30 p.m. EDT

The Utah Jazz haven't won in San Antonio in more than a decade, but the way they're shooting the ball lately, that streak could end Thursday night.

Looking for consecutive wins for the first time this season, the Jazz will try to snap a 20-game road losing streak against the Spurs, who could be without two of their star guards as they open their four-game homestand.

Before opening its own six-game homestand Saturday, Utah (5-6) will try to win its first game in San Antonio since a 101-87 victory on Feb. 28, 1999.

While Utah has shot better than 50 percent just once in its last 23 games in San Antonio, the Jazz are hitting 50.8 percent from the field in their last three games.

Utah shot a season-best 53.0 percent and scored 60 first-half points in a 113-99 home win over San Antonio on Nov. 5. Carlos Boozer scored 27 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, and Deron Williams added 27 points, nine assists and seven rebounds as the Jazz beat the Spurs for the first time in five overall meetings.

Boozer posted his third straight double-double with 22 points and a season-high 18 rebounds in Wednesday's 104-91 victory over Toronto. After missing the previous two games due to a family issue, Williams scored 20 points and handed out nine assists.

Rookie point guard Eric Maynor, who averaged 18.5 points and 7.5 assists during Williams' absence, scored 11 of his 15 points in the fourth quarter and had six assists off the bench against the Raptors.

"He continues to impress me," Williams said. "He's playing great. He's composed, he's making plays. He takes a lot of pressure off a lot of people."

Tony Parker does the same for San Antonio (4-5), but the three-time All-Star point guard is questionable after missing Wednesday's 99-94 overtime loss to Dallas with a sprained left ankle he aggravated Saturday versus Oklahoma City.

"He hasn't been able to practice since then," said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose team is hoping to avoid its first three-game slide of the season.

Manu Ginobili, who sat the fourth quarter of the 101-98 loss to the Thunder with a tight left hamstring, made his first start of the season Wednesday but left after the first quarter with a strained left groin.

Popovich said after the game that Ginobili would not play Thursday.

Tim Duncan led the Spurs with 22 points, 14 rebounds and six assists against the Mavericks. He scored the game-tying layup with 2.3 seconds left in regulation and blocked Jason Terry's potential game-winning jumper, but Dallas used an 8-0 run in overtime to drop the Spurs to 0-4 on the road.

"With Tony out and then how Manu went out, it hurt not having them in there," said Duncan, who had 15 points and 13 boards in the Nov. 5 loss in Salt Lake City. "But I thought we did a good job keeping it together."

George Hill, who started for Parker on Wednesday, scored 15 points. He is averaging 16.5 on 49.0 percent shooting in his last four games.

First-year Spur Richard Jefferson bounced back from a season-low four points versus Oklahoma City with 13 and a season-high 11 rebounds Wednesday.

Williams led the Jazz with 25 points and 10 assists in the team's last game in San Antonio, a 105-99 loss April 10. Parker had 31 points and seven assists for the Spurs, and Duncan added 14 points and nine boards while committing six turnovers.