But after Duncan made one of two free throws on San Antonio's ensuing possession, Jazz big man Okur missed a fading turnaround jumper on the baseline with 2:16 to go.

And that was that.

"I was proud of the fact we that we fought back," Sloan said. "Instead of playing them soft . . . we played harder, and got into them, and consequently they didn't have as many open shots."

With as many shots as they made early on, however, even an injection of second-quarter effort could not cure the Jazz's ills.

The Jazz did also get 21 points from Matt Harpring, who played after missing one game with a sprained left ankle, along with 14 from Williams and 13 from Kirilenko.

"They're a good team," Sloan said of the Spurs, who have beaten Utah in 21 of their last 23 meetings. "They sort of destroy your will to want to play. But we did fight back — and I think that's tremendous on our part."

Not that that should make the Jazz feel any better.

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E-mail: tbuckley@desnews.com