Utah @ San Antonio preview

Last Meeting ( Feb 12, 2018 ) San Antonio 99, Utah 101

The Utah Jazz seek to finish off a four-game season sweep of San Antonio when they visit the Spurs on Friday. Utah has recorded four straight overall victories against the Spurs for their best stretch of success against San Antonio in eight years.

The Jazz have won 10 of their past 11 games and 22 of their last 25 after recording a 119-112 victory over the host Dallas Mavericks on Thursday and they share the same record as the Minnesota Timberwolves for the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. "I told the group before the game that we control our own destiny right now," Utah power forward Derrick Favors told reporters after the victory. "We've got to come out and play hard, stay focused, stay mentally prepared and we've got to win." San Antonio has recorded five straight victories and is in sixth place in the West, and well aware that they will lose a head-to-head tiebreaker with the Jazz. "They're a good team, but I still feel as though we let a couple of games go," Spurs forward Rudy Gay told reporters. "Obviously, they have any tiebreaker beating us three times, but I think for us we need to just go out there and get that win."

TV: 8:30 p.m. ET, AT&T SportsNet Rocky Mountain (Utah), FS Southwest (San Antonio)

ABOUT THE JAZZ (41-31): Favors (left knee) returned from a one-game absence and was a key component against the Mavericks with 19 points, seven rebounds and five assists as well as playing stout defense. "He always has a presence defensively being able to guard out on the floor in addition to in the lane and at the rim," Utah coach Quin Snyder told reporters of Favors. "He did a great job of finishing. He's tough, and he has such good hands that he's able to catch the ball and make plays and finish." Favors said that his knee felt good after the contest and that he would play on the second end of the back-to-back.

ABOUT THE SPURS (42-30): The drama regarding two-time All-Star Kawhi Leonard's injury status has picked up with veteran guard Manu Ginobili saying Leonard isn't returning this season and ESPN reporting that there was a confrontational team meeting in which players sought answers. Leonard, who has played in just nine games due to a preseason quadriceps injury, reportedly declined to set a return date or guarantee he would return this season. Not having their superstar is affecting the win-loss column as San Antonio needs to go 8-2 down the stretch to record its 19th consecutive 50-win campaign.

BUZZER BEATERS

1. Jazz SF Joe Ingles, who has made a franchise-record 183 3-pointers this season, is 8-of-14 from long range against the Spurs this season.

2. San Antonio PG Tony Parker is averaging just 4.3 points on 7-of-22 shooting over the past four games.

3. Utah rookie SG Donovan Mitchell scored 26 points against Dallas and has recorded 25 or more points 24 times this season.

PREDICTION: Spurs 106, Jazz 104