SAN ANTONIO ¨C Tony Parker scored 20 points and the San Antonio Spurs won their third straight, beating the New Orleans Hornets for the fourth time with a 102-91 victory on Friday night.

Manu Ginobili had 16 points and Keith Bogans scored 15 for the Spurs, who extended their longest winning streak in nearly two months and swept the season series from the Hornets for the second time in four seasons.

Rookie Darren Collison had 32 points for the Hornets, including 16 in the fourth quarter. But the Hornets still dropped their fourth straight, their longest skid of the season.

Marcus Thornton had 18 points for the Hornets, but left in the fourth after taking a hard fall. He was diagnosed with an upper back strain and did not return.

By the standards of this underachieving season, the Spurs are downright on a roll. San Antonio is on its longest winning streak since early January and turn around Saturday to face Memphis, which are also trying to catch the Spurs for a playoff spot.

New Orleans, meanwhile, keeps tumbling from the playoff picture.

Losing for the sixth time in seven games, the Hornets (31-32) fell under .500 for the first time since Jan. 2 and fell 5 1/2 games behind Portland for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

Climbing back won't be easy. Still stuck without Chris Paul ¡ª who has watched his team go 6-11 since injuring his left knee ¡ª the Hornets have only seven of their remaining 19 games are against losing teams.

David West had 22 points and nine rebounds for the Hornets. Collison had his second 30-night game in four games, and didn't miss any of his seven shots in the fourth quarter.

Tim Duncan had 12 points and rookie DeJuan Blair had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Spurs, who had all their starters in double figures. Matt Bonner added another 12 off the bench.

Like the Hornets, the Spurs can relate to a tough final stretch: 17 of their remaining 23 are against winning teams, and San Antonio has just eight left at home. But the Spurs are also trying to balance resting Duncan for the playoffs while trying to ensure they'll make it there.

Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said before the game that March is a month where if they can find Duncan some rest, "they'll do it." But the 33-year-old has held up much better so far than Parker, who's been dinged all season by ailing an ankle and hip.

Popovich said Parker isn't in good enough shape to play 38 minutes a night ¡ª and that his point guard won't heal entirely until the summer.

"It's a real double-edge sword," Popovich said. "He's got to work to get in shape, but at the same time, he can't exacerbate the ankle or the hip situation."

Parker looked OK against the Hornets. He played 30 minutes, shooting 8 of 12 from the floor and handing out six assists.

NOTES: Thornton set the Hornets rookie record for 3-pointers in a season with 82, besting J.R. Smith's former mark of 81. ... The Spurs still have more than a week to bring their roster to the NBA-minimum 13 players after waiving Michael Finley, who signed with Boston on Friday.