Jazz at Spurs boxscore

SAN ANTONIO — The San Antonio Spurs have clinched the Western Conference’s top spot. They’ve racked up 61 wins. They’ve bounced back from a rare slump with four consecutive victories.

They also have one of the most talented trios in the league with Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

But while falling 111-102 at the AT&T Center, the Utah Jazz learned firsthand what really makes the Spurs such a dangerous team as they head into the playoffs.

Tiago Splitter. Gary Neal. George Hill. Matt Bonner. DeJuan Blair.

Who cares if they’re not exactly household names outside of the Alamo area?

They were as important to the Spurs’ success Saturday as the seven dwarves were for Snow White.

“I feel that is what makes their team so special,” Jazz forward Paul Millsap said. “They have guys that can come off the bench and score the basketball. They truly play basketball out there.”

On a night when defense was as nonexistent as snow in scorching San Antonio, Utah managed to hold the Spurs’ Big Three in check.

Duncan only had 10 points, three rebounds and played just 22 minutes. Parker scored 13 points with seven assists, which were decent but hardly dazzling stats. And Ginobili chipped in a dozen points with six assists, four boards and zero bat swats.

Even so, the Spurs led by as many as 17 points, shot 57.7 percent and controlled the tempo and game after running into the locker room at halftime on a 9-0 run.

With his 20-point outing, revived forward Richard Jefferson was one big reason for that. But the Spurs had seven players in double figures and nine guys with at least seven points as San Antonio earned this impressive all-for-one, won-by-all victory.

Even the Spurs’ victims were impressed.

“That’s simply how good their team is,” Jazz center Al Jefferson said. “You can maintain their ‘Big Three,’ but still have other guys on their team that beat you.”

Utah actually had a good offensive night, shooting 53.8 percent and getting 23 points from Jefferson and a career-best 17 from rookie Derrick Favors.

But the Spurs simply had too many weapons. Splitter torched Utah with 13 points on 5-for-7 shooting, Blair and Neal each had 12 points, while George Hill (nine) and Matt Bonner (seven) gave Jazz-killing contributions.

“That’s who they are. They are a great ballclub,” Jazz coach Tyrone Corbin said. “They don’t care who leads them in scoring every night, as long as they win the game. They do a great job of sharing the ball. If one guy is struggling, they go to the next guy.”

If there was a silver lining in this game for the Jazz, it was how well Favors played — including in stints with a big lineup that also included Jefferson and Millsap (16 points).

SAN ANTONIO, Texas (AFP) – With the Los Angeles Lakers looming in their rearview mirror, the San Antonio Spurs halted their six-game skid in emphatic style Sunday with a 114-97 NBA victory over Phoenix.

George Hill scored 29 points in the rout, which ended a Spurs losing streak of almost a fortnight that saw the once-comfortable lead atop the Western Conference dwindle.

“Before the game, our three leaders spoke up and tried to say that everyone needs to hold themselves accountable,” said Hill, referring to the Spurs’ core of Tim Duncan, Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili.

“It’s not about one person on this team, it’s about the whole team.”

Later Sunday, the two-time defending champion Lakers fell 95-90 to Denver.

That snapped the Lakers’ nine-game winning streak and dropped Los Angeles 2 1/2 games behind the Spurs for the West lead.

The Spurs have five games remaining and the Lakers have six. The two will meet for the fourth and final time this season on April 12.

That game could decide who gets home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

“Nobody will turn down momentum going into the playoffs,” Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said.

The Suns, who swept the Spurs out of the playoffs last year to reach the Western Conference finals, were eliminated from playoff contention with Sunday’s defeat.

Suns guard Steve Nash didn’t make the trip to Texas because of flu.

Between his absence and San Antonio’s desperation for a victory, Suns coach Alvin Gentry knew his team would be up against it.

“We knew they were going to have a reaction, obviously they lost six straight games,” Gentry said. “They’re fighting like crazy to stay ahead of the Lakers, and the (Eastern Conference leading) Bulls.

“Obviously, it becomes really important to them, and they played that way.”

Matt Bonner added 16 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs, who have the most wins of any NBA team but have lost their aura of dominance during the skid.

The Spurs led the Lakers by seven games after their previous victory on March 21.

Then Duncan missed four games with an ankle injury and the Spurs surrendered several games late to put their top seed in peril.

“We’ve got a lot of confidence, and hopefully we can finish in first place,” Parker said.

The Lakers need five more wins to reach 60 for the 12th time and the third under coach Phil Jackson.

Jackson has coached seven teams to 60 regular-season victories, and all won the title, including five Chicago Bulls teams.

Pau Gasol had 16 points and 12 rebounds for the Lakers, and reserve Lamar Odom added 17 points and seven rebounds.

Los Angeles got a brief injury scare when Gasol was fouled by Nene on a dunk and hit the floor hard in the third quarter.

Gasol flexed his leg, apparently testing his sore right knee, several times, played another minute then went to the locker room.

However, he returned shortly and re-entered the game.