SALT LAKE CITY – Tony Parker scored 14 of his 22 points in the fourth quarter to rally the San Antonio Spurs to a 91-82 win over the Utah Jazz on Friday night.
Boris Diaw scored a season-high 17 points and Tim Duncan added 14 to help the Spurs run their winning streak to seven in a game that matched the team with the best record in the Western Conference against the team with worst mark in the league.
The Jazz took a 67-60 lead into the fourth quarter, but the Spurs started doing what they do best — driving the lane for layups or hitting the spot-up shooters in the short corners.
Derrick Favors had 20 points and 18 rebounds for Utah, which led by as many 15 points early in the game. Gordon Hayward added 15 points and Richard Jefferson had 14.
Danny Green hit two 3-pointers, Diaw hit another and Parker converted a three-point play in the first two minutes of the final period to give the Spurs their first lead since the opening quarter.
Although it was San Antonio's fifth game in seven nights, the Spurs were stronger down the stretch. The Jazz were flying all over the court but couldn't hit their shots (7 for 25 on field goals in the fourth quarter) while the Spurs let Parker go to work penetrating, passing and scoring.
Parker hit a free throw to give the Spurs an 83-75 lead with 4:38 remaining and the Jazz never got closer.
Utah outrebounded San Antonio 50-43 and had 20 second-chance points to two for the Spurs, but their lack of accuracy led to yet another loss. The Jazz shot 38.5 percent in the game.
After Utah jetted to a 29-14 lead after one quarter, Diaw scored 10 points to draw the Spurs within 40-37 in the second.
Alec Burks, who has played almost exclusively at the 2-guard, started at the point and got into foul trouble guarding Parker and finished with 12 points.
The Jazz were the last team in the league to get its first win when they defeated New Orleans 111-105 Wednesday, but the fourth-quarter touch they enjoyed in that one was not apparent Friday. Utah is the worst shooting team in the NBA.
Duncan was averaging 7.0 points on 5-of-27 shooting in his last three games, but played a season-high 34 minutes against Utah and had nine rebounds and three blocked shots.
San Antonio allows fewer than 90 points per game and became extra stingy, continually denying Jazz forays to the hoop at the end.
NOTES: After Duncan was rejected by Favors on one play and then aggressively defended by the Utah forward on another in the first half, he vehemently complained to official Scott Wall and received a technical foul. . Marvin Williams had his nose broken when Duncan accidentally smacked him in the first half and then wore a goggle mask for much of the second half. . The Spurs had 22 fast-break points to 10 for Utah.
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