INQUIRER Sports

SAN ANTONIO -- Tony Parker scored 24 points and the injury-depleted San Antonio Spurs defeated Minnesota 93-86 Tuesday in a National Basketball Association game.

At 45-22, the Spurs have the second-best record in the Western Conference to the Los Angeles Lakers and own a two-game lead over Houston in the Southwest division. The struggling Timberwolves fell to 20-47.

The Spurs played without Argentina star guard Manu Ginobili due to a leg injury and standout big man Tim Duncan, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and four-time champion who has an inflamed knee tendon.

French guard Parker provided a scoring spark for the Spurs along with Roger Mason, who had 15 points, eight of them in a key run to end the third quarter and open the fourth to give the Spurs a 70-60 lead.

Timberwolves rookie Kevin Lowe had 17 points and a season-high 19 rebounds while Sebastian Telfair added 17 fro Minnesota.