Spurs go for 12th straight win vs. Nets

Manu Ginobili scored 16 of his 31 points in the fourth quarter, as the Spurs ran their winning streak to 11 by defeating the Sacramento Kings, 100-93, on Thursday at ARCO Arena.

It is the longest winning streak for the Spurs since they closed the 2003-04 campaign with 11 consecutive victories. The franchise record is 17 straight victories, held by the 1995-96 team.

Tim Duncan finished with 16 points and 13 rebounds in the victory over Sacramento for the Spurs, while Tony Parker ended with 15 points and a team- best five assists.

San Antonio, which plays the first of a short two-game homestand, is 20-8 at home this season. The Spurs are scheduled to host Elton Brand and the Clippers on Tuesday.

The Spurs are eight games behind the Dallas Mavericks for the top spot in the Southwest Division and the Western Conference.

New Jersey has dropped four in a row and plays the fourth of a six-game road trip. On Friday, Tracy McGrady poured in 34 points and dished out five assists as the Houston Rockets knocked off New Jersey, 112-91, at the Toyota Center.

Bostjan Nachbar had 29 points and seven boards for the struggling Nets, who dropped their fourth straight game and are one-half game behind Orlando for the eighth and final playoff spot in the East.

All-Star Vince Carter finished with 14 points in the loss to Houston. He was just 5-of-17 from the floor.

The Nets are 11-19 on the road this season. They will visit the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday and the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets on Tuesday.

This is the second and final meeting of the campaign between the clubs. On February 13th, Duncan scored 21 points to lead the Spurs to a 107-82 rout of the Nets at Continental Airlines Arena.

The Spurs have won three straight after losing their last three at New Jersey. San Antonio has won eight straight after losing the last three meetings in the series.