San Antonio (28-13) has the same record at the midway point of the season as it did a year ago, becoming a contender yet again in the Western Conference despite starting 2-5 and playing without injured stars Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker earlier in the season.

San Antonio's response was to get back to its defense-first ideology, which has led it to four titles since 1999. Ginobili and Parker then rejoined the lineup, and the Spurs have won 26 of their last 34.

"We haven't played our best and we still have a pretty good record," guard Roger Mason said. "We can get better and we're going to continue to do so."

The Spurs are allowing 93.7 points per game, and 84.0 en route to winning their last three contests. There have been some rough patches, though.

San Antonio allowed 100 points or more in three of its first four games, and in three straight before its current run.

Against the Nets (19-23), however, the Spurs have been dominant, holding them to 79.0 points and 38.1 percent shooting during a 12-game winning streak - including the postseason. New Jersey hasn't beaten San Antonio since a 77-76 home win in Game 4 of the 2003 NBA finals on June 11, 2003.

The Nets also enter this contest having lost a season-high four straight, averaging 90.5 points during that stretch, and with star point guard Devin Harris' status uncertain due to a nagging rib injury.

If Harris can't play, that would leave veteran Keyon Dooling to match up with Parker, averaging a career-best 20.4 points.

Parker and Tim Duncan never left the bench in the fourth quarter of San Antonio's 99-81 home win over Indiana on Tuesday night, giving the Spurs' starters a much-needed break.

San Antonio emerged from a busy stretch 4-1, with a win over the Los Angeles Lakers, getting routed at Philadelphia and a pair of close victories at Chicago and Charlotte.

Duncan had 27 points and 10 rebounds Tuesday, while Ginobili scored 26 before the Spurs sat their stars.

Ginobili barely played in the fourth, but his outstanding 20 minutes continued a recent re-emergence. Ginobili, the reigning sixth man award-winner, has scored 20-plus points in three of his last five games.

"He's starting to look like the old Manu," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said.

Harris, meanwhile, is at less than 100 percent. He played a little less than 28 minutes and was 1-of-11 shooting as New Jersey lost its fifth straight on the road Wednesday night, 102-92 to New Orleans.

Harris is averaging 21.8 points on the season but has a total of 13 in his last two games, shooting 17.6 percent (3-for-17).

Vince Carter, left to carry the load for the Nets, had 20 points versus the Hornets after averaging 7.3 in his previous three contests. He's averaging 20.4 points in his last seven games against San Antonio, but is shooting 39.4 percent in that span.