10 December,2009 01:03 PM IST | | AFP
Richard Jefferson poured in 23 points, breaking out of his personal slump to help San Antonio end a three-game NBA skid with a 118-106 victory over Sacramento on Wednesday.
Tony Parker added 18 points and 11 assists for the Spurs, who beat the Kings for the second time this season and seventh straight meeting.
Manu Ginobili added 20 points, including five in a late-game Spurs scoring run.
Omri Casspi scored 20 points to lead the Kings, who lost their fourth in a row.
Jefferson, acquired in the offseason in a trade with Milwaukee, came into the game averaging 12.8 points.
But he set the tone on the first possession with a fast-break dunk off an assist from Parker
Another dunk from Jefferson capped a 14-point Spurs run at the end of the first half. Jefferson rebounded a blocked shot by Antonio McDyess, drove the length of the court and slammed down a dunk with four seconds left in the first half.
Jefferson opened the fourth quarter by blocking Casspi's attempted layup, then he nailed a three-pointer on the other end.
The Kings wouldn't go away, however, as Parker and Tim Duncan rested on the spurs bench in the fourth quarter.
Casspi's three-pointer narrowed the gap to 101-96 with six minutes to play.
Parker and Duncan re-entered the game, but Duncan's foul sent Jason Thompson to the free throw line, and Thompson made two free throws to cut the deficit to 101-98.
Parker gave San Antonio some breathing room as he scored baskets on consecutive possessions, and Ginobili scored on back to back drives as the Spurs again pulled away, Ginobili's dunk with less than two minutes left giving the spurs a 112-102 lead.
