Ginobili’s 37 points spark Spurs past Jazz

SAN ANTONIO -- Manu Ginobili scored 37 points for the second game in a row to lift the San Antonio Spurs to a 104-98 victory over the Utah Jazz on Friday night for their fifth consecutive win.

The Spurs remained unbeaten at home despite their second straight game without Tim Duncan, who is recovering from a sprained ankle. Tony Parker shot poorly but scored 16 points for the Spurs.

Deron Williams and Carlos Boozer had 28 points apiece for Utah, which hasn’t won in San Antonio since 1999. Williams also had 10 assists.

The Jazz led for most of the game and was up by as many as 11 points. But the Spurs got closer in the fourth quarter, and took their first lead since the first quarter at 85-84 on Matt Bonner’s jumper with 6:36 to play.

When they took the lead again on Michael Finley’s three-pointer with 5:31 left, it was for good.

The Jazz got to within one at 99-98 with 19 seconds to play after Williams made a long three-pointer, but the Spurs made eight free throws over the final 31 seconds to clinch the win.

LeBron James didn’t practice Friday and will sit out his fifth consecutive game because of a sprained left index finger when the Cleveland Cavaliers play tonight at Charlotte.

In speaking to reporters for the first time since he sprained the finger at Detroit on Nov. 28, James had a message for the Cavaliers’ opponents.

“Teams better get their wins now,” he said. “They try to kill us and talk trash about us now. . . . When we get our guys back, it’s going to be a different story.”

The defending Eastern Conference champions have also been without Larry Hughes (bone bruise), Donyell Marshall (sprained right wrist) and Anderson Varejao (contract holdout).