Spurs at Jazz
The Utah Jazz have dropped nine straight games and will try to stop that slide Tuesday when they host the San Antonio Spurs on the second night of a back-to-back. The Jazz briefly held a fourth-quarter lead in a 101-92 loss at the Sacramento Kings on Monday, and three of the last four setbacks have come by single digits. Utah could catch a small break against the Spurs, who do not plan to have Tony Parker available due to a hamstring strain.
San Antonio did not have Parker or Manu Ginobili on Saturday but still shot 57.3 percent in a 123-101 thrashing of the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Spurs have won 10 of their last 11 games and made a statement with a 107-101 win at Memphis on Saturday before blasting Minnesota on the second night of a back-to-back while shorthanded. The Jazz were happy with the defensive effort in Sacramento but are still waiting for the shots to start falling.
TV: 9 p.m. ET, ROOT (Utah), FSN Southwest (San Antonio)
ABOUT THE SPURS (15-5): Marco Belinelli picked up some of the slack from his missing teammates with a season-high 20 points against Minnesota. The Italian guard missed eight games in November with a groin strain and scored in single digits in seven of eight games before breaking out Saturday. “I think he’s getting his rhythm,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich told reporters. “He didn’t come back in great shape and at this point he’s starting to feel pretty good. The injury held him up after he was trying to get into shape, so he’s just beginning to start the season, really.”
ABOUT THE JAZZ (5-16): Utah gave up 123 points in a home loss to Toronto last Wednesday but picked things up on the defensive end by holding their last two opponents to an average of 99.5. “I felt like our approach to the game on the defensive end was better than it’s been,” Jazz coach Quin Snyder told reporters. “Obviously we can always do better, but I felt like we competed.” The problem is the other end, where Utah is averaging 93.9 points during the losing streak.
BUZZER BEATERS
1. Jazz F Gordon Hayward is 22-of-60 from the field over the last four games.
2. San Antonio has taken five straight in the series and won its two visits to Utah last season by an average of 12.5 points.
3. Ginobili (shoulder) is questionable to return Tuesday.