Jazz at Spurs
THE STORY: The San Antonio Spurs have clinched homecourt advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs and can move closer to landing top seed for the playoffs when they host the Utah Jazz on Saturday. The Spurs are competing with the Eastern Conference-leading Chicago Bulls for homecourt advantage per the entire playoffs. San Antonio seemingly has rebounded from its recent struggles, following up a six-game losing skid with three consecutive wins. The Jazz have clinched their second losing season in 28 years after a promising first half disintegrated into a complete collapse. Utah’s only other losing season since 1983 occurred when it went 26-56 during the 2004-05 campaign.
TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, FSUT, CW35.
ABOUT THE SPURS (60-19): The Spurs haven’t played since a 124-92 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday. The 32-point margin represents the Spurs’ largest of the season, topping a 125-95 win over Miami on March 4. San Antonio scored 41 points in the third quarter for its largest quarter output of the season. San Antonio was 12-of-19 from 3-point range with Manu Ginobili making four among his 25 points. George Hill scored 19 off the bench and hit three 3-pointers. Tim Duncan has played well in five games since returning from an ankle injury. Duncan is averaging 16 points, 8.8 rebounds and shooting 64.6 percent in that span. Center DeJuan Blair has failed to score in double figures in each of the last 13 games after a stretch in with he reached double digits in 12 of 20 games. The Spurs are 35-5 at home.
ABOUT THE JAZZ (37-42): Utah’s dramatic road upset of the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday didn’t create any momentum as the Jazz lost at home to Portland 98-87 on Thursday. Utah has lost nine of its last 10 games. Rookie Gordon Hayward had just 10 points on 1-of-5 shooting against Portland after back-to-back stellar performances against Sacramento (19 points, 8-of-14 shooting) and the Lakers (career-high 22 points, 9-for-14). Point guard Devin Harris had 26 points against the Trail Blazers in his return from missing seven games with a hamstring injury. Utah will be shorthanded for the two-game trip to Sacramento and New Orleans (Monday). It was discovered Thursday that backup center Kyrylo Fesenko has a fractured thumb and will miss the final three games. In addition, forward Andrei Kirilenko (knee) and guards Raja Bell (foot) and Ronnie Price (calf) didn’t travel.
WHO'S HOT/WHO’S NOT: San Antonio guard George Hill is averaging 20.3 points and is 8-for-14 from 3-point range over the past three outings. Millsap is averaging 20.7 points and eight rebounds over the last three contests. Blair is averaging just 4.8 points and shooting 37.9 percent over the last six games. Utah’s C.J. Miles is averaging just 5.3 points and shooting 25 percent over the last three contests.
KEY STATISTIC: Utah is averaging just 91.4 points over its last nine games, dropping its season average to 99.4. San Antonio is allowing 93 per game during its three-game winning streak.
SEASON SERIES: San Antonio has notched two road victories over Utah this season. The Spurs beat the Jazz 94-82 on Nov. 19 and 112-105 on Jan. 26.
KEY INJURIES: UTAH: F Andrei Kirilenko (knee); G Raja Bell (foot); C Francisco Elson (knee); C Kyrylo Fesenko (thumb); G Ronnie Price (calf). SAN ANTONIO: None.
LAST WORD: San Antonio has won 60 games for the fourth time in franchise history but that doesn’t necessarily mean an NBA title is on the horizon. The Spurs won the championship just once in the three previous 60-win campaigns, that occurring during the 2002-03 season. San Antonio lost in the Western Conference finals in 1995 and was ousted in the second round after compiling a franchise-best 63-19 record in 2005-06.