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Parker lifts Spurs to 11th straight win, 106-102

San Antonio Spurs guard Gary Neal, left, and San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner (15) reacts after a play during the second half on a NBA basketball game against the Utah Jazz, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart)

San Antonio Spurs forward Matt Bonner, left, shoots over Utah Jazz's Paul Millsap during the second half on a NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart)

San Antonio Spurs guard Tony Parker (9) works to get around Utah Jazz forward Paul Millsap (24) during the second half on an NBA basketball game, Monday, Feb. 20, 2012, in Salt Lake City. The Spurs won 106-102. (AP Photo/Jim Urquhart)

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By LYNN DeBRUIN, The Associated Press Updated 11:56 PM Monday, February 20, 2012

SALT LAKE CITY — Tony Parker scored 23 points and Matt Bonner hit five 3-pointers and the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Utah Jazz 106-102 Monday night for their 11th consecutive victory.

Richard Jefferson's 3-pointer with 6.5 seconds left sealed the victory for the Spurs, who have not lost on the road since Jan. 29 in Dallas.

Al Jefferson led the Jazz (15-16) with 20 points while Paul Millsap added 16.

The loss was Utah's fifth straight against the Spurs (23-9).

The Jazz fell below .500 for the first time since Jan. 2.

The Spurs kept the NBA's longest win streak alive despite injuries to Manu Ginobili and Tiago Splitter, both expected to miss two weeks.

San Antonio trailed by as many as eight points in the first half and 10 in the third quarter, before rallying.

Tim Duncan added 20 points for San Antonio.

The Jazz, forced to practice Monday morning despite arriving back from Houston at 10:30 a.m., played with much more intensity than they did in a blowout loss to Houston on Sunday.

Al Jefferson had a chance to tie the score at 102 with 29 seconds left but missed a 16-footer, and Richard Jefferson countered with a 3-pointer.

Gary Neal, who added 14 points for San Antonio, sank a free throw for the final difference.

The Spurs led 56-53 at halftime, but the Jazz opened the second half on a 13-0 run, led by Josh Howard, Paul Millsap and Devin Harris to take a 10-point lead.

The Spurs fought back, with Bonner hitting his fifth 3-pointer and sinking three free throws after being fouled on his next 3-point attempt.

DuJuan Blair got San Antonio within one after his steal and fast-break layup, and Neal tied it at 80 with a 28-footer jumper at the buzzer to end the third.

The Jazz led by as many as eight points in the first quarter 20-12, and held a 30-26 advantage after one thanks to 56 percent shooting and a 22-8 edge on points in the paint.

Bonner kept the Spurs close early, hitting three 3-pointers in the first quarter.

The Jazz built their lead back to eight in the second 40-32, on back-to-back baskets by rookie Enes Kanter and C.J. Miles. But San Antonio fought back again behind Duncan, Blair and Parker, whose jumper gave the Spurs their first lead 41-40 with 5:25 left in the first half.

Parker had 10 points in the second quarter as the Spurs took a 56-53 lead into the break.

The Spurs were short two stars, with Ginobili suffering a strained left oblique in Saturday's 103-100 victory at the Los Angeles Clippers. An MRI on Monday confirmed the injury to Ginobili, who had played in just his fourth game since missing 22 with a broken left hand. He will remain in San Antonio for the remainder of the Spurs' road trip.

Ginobili led the Spurs against the Jazz in the first meeting with 23 points on 9-of-10 shooting.

Splitter, who had averaged 13 points off the bench in his previous five games, traveled with the team to Salt Lake City but also is out two weeks with a strained right calf.

NOTES: Jazz great Karl Malone attended Monday's game just a few weeks after a very public spat with the organization and CEO Greg Miller. At the time, Malone said he was forced to use a scalper to buy tickets for a game and also blamed the organization for coach Jerry Sloan's abrupt retirement last February, saying the Jazz had given guard Deron Williams — now with the New Jersey Nets — too much power. On Monday, Malone, with his son, shrugged off reporters but sat in the front row under the "home" basket next to a fan holding a colorful "Malone for President" sign. A security guard stood behind him. At halftime, Malone hugged coach Tyrone Corbin and other members of the Jazz coaching staff in the concourse, but was signing autographs when Miller walked by. Miller looked at him, and kept walking. After the game, Miller went over to Malone and the two chatted briefly ... Jazz SG Bell was inactive Monday after re-injuring his right adductor. It was the fourth game he missed because of the injury. The Jazz instead activated F DeMarre Carroll for the first time since signing him Feb. 8. ...The Spurs on Monday signed 6-9 rookie F Eric Dawson, a San Antonio native, to a 10-day contract. Dawson was averaging 15.9 points and 10.1 rebounds for Austin of the NBA Development League.

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February 21, 2012 04:53 AM EST

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