Follow Us on Facebook Follow Us on Twitter VI Mobile College Basketball March Mayhem Picks College Basketball March Mayhem Picks VegasInsider.com VegasInsider.com
Handicapper Bios Sports Picks Free Odds Contests Sportsbook
Sports Betting Home NFL NBANHLMLBNCAA FBNCAA BKGolfAutoHorsesBoxingVI More Sports
 
NBA Scores Matchups Teams Standings Schedules Injuries News
 
 · Latest News
 · Player Updates
 · Transactions
Buy Picks Vegas Odds
 
 · Vegas Odds
 · Offshore Odds
 · Future Odds
 
Recap: Jazz 104, Spurs 114
Line Movements
Date: April 08, 2012 7:00 PM EDT
  

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - The San Antonio Spurs pushed their winning streak to 11 on a night when coach Gregg Popovich committed to playing just 10 men.

That health prioritizing isn't likely to change - whether first place is on the line or not.

Tony Parker scored 28 points, Manu Ginobili had 23 off the bench and the Spurs reached their second 11-game winning streak of the season, beating the Utah Jazz 114-104 on Sunday night to maintain their slim lead atop the Western Conference.

Advertisement

Tim Duncan added 13 points and 16 rebounds, making this 28th win in 33 games for the Spurs look like countless other Big Three showcases. But different this time was Ginobili, who has missed 29 games with injuries this year, deliberately seeking out contact to toughen up before the playoffs. Popovich also sat starting center DeJuan Blair for the first time all season.

``It's time for me to join in,' Ginobili said following his biggest game since returning from a broken hand in March.

Yet he may not join the Spurs on Monday night in Salt Lake City, when the Spurs and Jazz finish an unusual home-and-home in consecutive nights. Someone shouted to Ginobili in the locker room they'd see him when they got back from Utah, though Ginobili said he did not know if he was making the trip.

Al Jefferson led the Jazz with 19 points and 10 rebounds for Utah, which dropped 1 1/2 games behind Denver for the eighth and final playoff spot with nine games to go. Devin Harris had 18 points and reserve DeMare Carroll had 16 for the Jazz. Guard C.J. Miles left in the second quarter with a strained left calf, and is scheduled to undergo an MRI when the team returns to Utah.

``Any time you lose your top guys, it's tough. But we're a deep team. Injuries happen,' Harris said. ``They're unfortunate, but it's more playing time for the other guys. We just have to keep playing and fighting through.'

Six of Utah's remaining games are against winning teams. The Jazz (29-28) are trying to return to the playoffs for the first time in three years and are poised to decide their own fate if they get there. Utah still has meetings left against Dallas, Phoenix and Houston, all of whom entered Sunday within 1 1/2 games of each other.

The Spurs (40-14) have played two more games than the Thunder (41-15). San Antonio overtook Oklahoma City in the standings for the first time all season Friday and owns the tiebreaker with 12 games remaining.

Expect to see the Spurs cashing in on their new stockpile of depth between now and then. Aside from Popovich sitting Blair, newcomer Stephen Jackson didn't play, either.

Danny Green had 14 points. Ginobili was 14 of 15 from the foul line, saying he made the conscious decision to attack the basket, in part, because he's essentially trying to get used to absorbing physical contact again.

``I'm trying to start to be more aggressive going to the rim. I haven't been fouled much,' Ginobili said.

The Jazz trailed by as many as 19 but made a game of it in the fourth. Utah cut the lead to 108-100 with around 2 minutes left, but after Duncan pulled down his 15th rebound on a missed jumper by Gordon Hayward jumper, Parker scored the final six points to finish off the pesky Jazz.

Parker went 9 of 14 from the floor and hit all 10 of his foul shots.

Popovich has insisted that health will trump seeding down the stretch, but the Spurs keep winning in spite of him trying to limit the mileage on his stars before the playoffs. San Antonio is one of just four teams with at least 10 players averaging 19 minutes - New York's the only other winning one - and a rare Spurs midseason shopping spree has given them the luxury of even more depth.

Boris Diaw scored 9 points in his first start since signing with the Spurs on March 23. Along with Jackson and point guard Patty Mills, the Spurs are 11-1 since giving their bench a facelift around the trade deadline.

Parker said Popovich is breaking the news about who's in and out prior to tipoff.

``He's telling before who he's not going to play,' Parker said. ``We all have to be ready.'

Notes: Jazz G Earl Watson (right knee strain) did not return after playing 5 minutes in the first half. ... Blair was the only Spurs player to start every game this season prior to Sunday. ... The Spurs have beaten Utah in six consecutive meetings.

AP NEWS
The Associated Press News Service

Copyright 2013
The Associated Press
All Rights Reserved

 CLOSING LAS VEGAS LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 UTH  +450   +10   210 
 SAS  -600   -10   
LAS VEGAS LINE MOVEMENTS

 CLOSING SPORTSBOOK LINE
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 UTH  +425   +10   210 
 SAS  -550   -10   
OFFSHORE LINE MOVEMENTS

 BETTING TRENDS
 Team  ML   SPR   O/U 
 UTH  58%   45%   51% 
 SAS  42%   55%   49% 
BT MOVEMENTS

 NBA RECAPS
 Sunday, Apr 8
 
  •  Bulls at Knicks
1:00 PM EDT
  •  76ers at Celtics
6:05 PM EDT
  •  Pistons at Heat
6:05 PM EDT
  •  Cavaliers at Nets
6:05 PM EDT
  •  Jazz at Spurs
7:05 PM EDT
  •  Raptors at Thunder
7:05 PM EDT
  •  Rockets at Kings
9:05 PM EDT
 
 
 
  
GOLD Membership
Over 150 Member Plays free each month. Signup Today!
 
 

NFL
NFL Sports Picks
NFL Vegas Odds
NFL Online Odds
NFL Matchups
NFL Scores

More Sports
Golf
Auto Racing
Horse Racing
Boxing
WNBA

MLB
MLB Sports Picks
MLB Vegas Odds
MLB Online Odds
MLB Matchups
MLB Scores

Features
Free Odds
Contests
Newsletters
VI Radio
Las Vegas Travel
Follow us on Twitter
Add us on Google+
Join us on Facebook

NBA
NBA Sports Picks
NBA Vegas Odds
NBA Online Odds
NBA Matchups
NBA Scores

Sports Betting Tools
Live Odds
Mobile Odds
Parlay Calculator
Gaming Terms
TV Listings
Handicapping Records
Sports Betting
About Sports Betting
Sportsbook Reviews

NHL
NHL Sports Picks
NHL Vegas Odds
NHL Online Odds
NHL Matchups
NHL Scores

VegasInsider Info
About Us
Help Center
Privacy Policy
Terms of Use
Refund Policy
Contact Us
User Feedback

College Football
NCAA FB Sports Picks
NCAA FB Vegas Odds
NCAA FB Online Odds
NCAA FB Matchups
NCAA FB Scores

Sportsbooks
CarbonSports · Review
SportBet · Review
Sportsbook · Review
TopBet.eu · Review

College Basketball
NCAA BK Sports Picks
NCAA BK Vegas Odds
NCAA BK Online Odds
NCAA BK Matchups
NCAA BK Scores

Rotation Schedules
Baseball: Mar 31 - June 02

Copyright © 1997-2013, VegasInsider.com Inc., The Global Leader In Sports Gaming Information. All rights reserved.
For questions or comments, please contact us at 1-800-211-4759.