SAN ANTONIO (AP) – Tony Parker scored 27 points, Manu Ginobili sparked the decisive run in his return from an injury, and the San Antonio Spurs pulled away to beat the Indiana Pacers 99-86 on Tuesday night.

The Pacers led 60-57 midway through the third quarter after a layup by Jamaal Tinsley, before the Spurs took control with a 16-3 spurt.

Ginobili, who missed eight games with a sprained right foot, made a free throw and a layup to start the run. The Spurs held Indiana without a basket for more than 41/2 minutes beginning late in the third.

The Pacers trimmed San Antonio’s lead to 76-71 on a short jumper by Jermaine O’Neal, but Tim Duncan then banked in a 14-footer and swished a 16-footer, both over Jeff Foster, and Nazr Mohammed made a basket to restore the lead to double digits with 5 minutes remaining.

Duncan added 26 points for the Spurs. No other Spurs were in double figures. Ginobili had nine points in 15 minutes.

O’Neal led Indiana with 26 points and Tinsley scored 20. Fred Jones added 14 and Stephen Jackson 13.

Ginobili entered the game to a long standing ovation with 4:36 left in the first quarter and the Spurs down 18-15. He quickly found Parker for a layup and then hit a 10-foot jumper while falling out of bounds to even the score at 20.

Parker and Duncan each had 11 points in the first, but the Pacers shot 12-for-19 (63 percent) as a team and led 29-27 after one.

After a 3-pointer by San Antonio’s Nick Van Exel tied it at 38 midway through the second, the Spurs went scoreless for more than 3 minutes.

Indiana built its lead to six points late in the period before Ginobili made two free throws and Parker had a breakaway layup to cut the Pacers’ lead to 48-46 at halftime.

O’Neal scored 10 points in the second and finished the half with 17.

Notes: The Spurs now hold a 34-33 advantage over the Pacers in the all-time series. … Duncan had been wearing his hair long this season, but on Tuesday he was cropped close to the scalp and had shaved his beard. … The Spurs made 11 of their 21 free throws in the first three quarters, but went 11-for-13 at the line in the fourth. … The Pacers’ Austin Croshere played only 11 minutes, 15 fewer than his average.

AP-ES-12-27-05 2329EST