Rubio’s 34 points leads Jazz by Spurs

SAN ANTONIO - The Associated Press

After being run ragged by the Spurs’ ball movement for years, Ricky Rubio continues to get some payback in his first season with Utah.

Rubio scored a season-high 34 points and added nine assists, and the Jazz upended San Antonio 120-111 late on Feb. 3 for their fifth straight victory.

Utah shot 57 percent from the field and had 26 assists in its second win over San Antonio this season.

“We did the extra pass,” Rubio said. “We’re trying to play like [the Spurs] actually. We were trying to move the ball and do the extra pass until one guy is open. Sometimes one guy open is not enough and we just take it to the next step where it’s a wide open.”

LaMarcus Aldridge had 31 points for the Spurs in the final home game before embarking on their annual monthlong rodeo road trip. It was Aldridge’s 10th game with 30 points this season after doing so just five times in his previous two seasons with the Spurs.

He was one of the few bright spots for San Antonio, which lost three times during the five-game homestand after losing just three home games prior.

Despite arriving in San Antonio late after playing Friday night in Phoenix, the Jazz rolled over the Spurs.

“They were inspired, we were poor,” said Manu Ginobili, who had 13 points. “Always late and they got everything they wanted.”