ESPN NBA

While his teammate is dealing with some difficult personal matters, Tim Duncan is approaching a San Antonio Spurs milestone.

Duncan can surpass David Robinson as the Spurs' career scoring leader Friday night when they visit the Utah Jazz.

San Antonio (9-1) can also set a new team record after tying the best 10-game start in franchise history with a 103-94 victory over Chicago on Wednesday. The Spurs also started 9-1 in 1980 and '81, with both teams losing their 11th game.

On Wednesday, Tony Parker scored 21 points hours after his actress wife Eva Longoria filed divorce papers to end their three-year marriage. He met with reporters before the game, making brief responses to three questions about the divorce. Afterward, a team official said reporters would have their access to Parker cut off if he was asked any more personal questions.

"It was a weird game," said Parker, who has surpassed 20 points in four straight games while shooting 62.1 percent. "I had a rough start."

The Spurs rallied from an 10-point deficit at the half, outscoring the Bulls 37-12 in the third quarter en route to their eighth straight win. They haven't won nine in a row since an 11-game run Feb. 11-March 6, 2008.

Duncan scored eight of his 16 points in the third quarter while finishing with a season-high 18 rebounds. He is 12 points shy of Robinson's all-time franchise scoring record of 20,790 points.

Duncan appeared in his 987th career game Wednesday, matching the number Robinson played during his 14-year career.

The power forward has a good chance to surpass Robinson on Friday. He's scored at least 14 points in his last 15 meetings with Utah, averaging 18.5 in the last six.

While Duncan has been consistent against the Jazz (8-4), the Spurs lost all four games against them last season -- the first time Utah swept the season series since 1993-94.

"They are a great team, they always execute great, they have great players that play hard and they never give up, so there's nothing new about them," San Antonio guard Manu Ginobili said. "They're the Jazz so we have to go there and play great to come back with a win."

The Jazz are coming off a 98-88 win over New Jersey on Wednesday, bouncing back after their five-game winning streak was snapped by a 115-108 loss to Oklahoma City on Monday.

Against the Nets, Paul Millsap had 19 points and 15 rebounds and Deron Williams had 23 points, going 12 of 13 at the free-throw line. Utah shot 40.2 percent from the field and was just 1 of 12 from 3-point range, but it went 31 of 37 at the line and had all five starters score in double figures for the first time this season.

Raja Bell returned after a one-game absence due to a groin injury and contributed 15 points.

"I haven't been helping out the way I should be," said Bell, who came in averaging 7.0 points. "Tonight I was determined to get out there, be aggressive and give my team some help."

Bell's biggest presence may be on the defensive end. He helped the Jazz hold New Jersey to 37.6 percent shooting after they gave up a season-high in points to the Thunder.

C.J. Miles left Wednesday's game with a strained lower back, but said he doesn't plan to miss any games. Miles is Utah's top scorer off the bench, averaging 10.0 points.

The Jazz will be without coach Jerry Sloan, who expects to miss two games to attend a family member's funeral. Assistant coach Phil Johnson will assume head coaching duties.