BOSTON -- San Antonio came into Boston missing three key players. Fortunately for the Spurs, Tim Duncan wasnt among them. Duncan scored 23 of his 25 points in the second half, powering the injury-depleted Spurs to a 104-92 win over the Celtics on Wednesday night. "More than anything, Tim led the way for us as he has for 16 or 17 years," coach Gregg Popovich said about his team pulling away in the final quarter. Marco Belinelli added 16 points, 11 rebounds and eight assists for the Spurs, who were without guards Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili and forward Tiago Splitter -- all sidelined with injuries. Coming off a first half when he went 1 for 4 from the floor, Duncan scored 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting in the third to help San Antonio open a 71-66 lead after three. "I started out the second half the exact same way and finally got some to fall," he said. "They kept coming to me and I just put it in the hole. There wasnt anything I changed, anything I saw." Boris Diaw added 18 points and Duncan grabbed nine rebounds to lead the Spurs to their fifth win in seven games. "Hes had that same demeanour since Day 1 when he arrived," Popovich said of Duncan. "He doesnt get excited about wins. He doesnt get down about losses. He just loves to compete and he keeps a real steady attitude, which everybody kind of feeds off in a way." First-year Boston coach Brad Stevens thought Duncan decided to take command more after halftime. "He changed," Stevens said. "I mean, he went back to being really aggressive on the blocks. I thought in the first half we did a really good job on a couple of catches that he did have down on the block, but he kind of put (them) on his shoulders. He wasnt going to be denied -- and we dont have great matchups for him. Theres not many great matchups for him in the NBA or in the world." Rajon Rondo led Boston with 16 points and Kris Humphries and rookie Kelly Olynyk had 15 apiece. The Celtics fell to 4-18 against Western Conference teams. Duncan scored 12 points and was 5 of 6 from the floor in the fourth. "He is arguably one of the best power forwards of all time, and hes doing it at 38," Humphries said. Boston was minus guard Avery Bradley, who was sidelined with a sprained right ankle. After the Celtics scored the first points of the fourth quarter on a jumper by Humphries, San Antonio went on a 12-4 run. The Spurs went 6 of 8 to start the period, keyed by Danny Greens 3 from the left corner that made it 79-70 with just under 10 minutes to play. After a foul-line jumper by Humphries, Duncan had consecutive baskets, the second a jumper that pushed the Spurs lead to 85-74 with 8:06 left. San Antonio broke it open with a 11-0 run midway into the quarter that was capped by Belinellis 3-pointer with 4 minutes left. The Spurs used a 9-2 run late in the third and opened their five-point lead heading into the fourth. Duncan didnt score his first points until a basket late in the first half. The Celtics went on a 12-0 run, bridging the end of the first quarter and the start of the second to pull to their first lead of the game, 26-25, on Phil Presseys 3-pointer. San Antonio led 48-44 at halftime. NOTES: Stevens said Bradley re-sprained the ankle that cost him five games at the end of January. Stevens said he could be out after the All-Star break. ... Before the game, Stevens praised the Spurs ability to overcome the loss of players due to injuries. "I think some of the most inspiring basketball Ive ever watched is when they dont have all their players," he said. ... The Spurs played their sixth game of a nine-game road trip that will carry over the break with the final three. Boston opens the post-break schedule with a four-game trip, starting against Phoenix next Wednesday. ... Hall of Famer Bill Russell turned 80 Wednesday. ... San Antonio beat Boston at home on Nov. 20, 104-93 in the only other meeting this season. ... Ginobili has a tight left hamstring and missed his eighth straight. Splitter was out for his third consecutive because of a bruised right shin and Parker was sidelined with lower back tightness. ... Stevens said Boston F Jared Sullinger played just 18 1/2 minutes because he was "sick." . -- Arizona coach Bruce Arians says there "were obviously very, very many problems" with the officiating in the Cardinals 24-21 loss at Philadelphia. .com) - Real Madrid claimed its 16th consecutive victory across all competitions on Saturday after earning a 2-1 win over Malaga at the Estadio La Rosaleda.
http://www.redskinsrookiestore.com/Reds ... th-Jersey/. - The Oakland Athletics say they are stopping negotiations to extend their lease at the Coliseum. . One out away from finishing off an impressive shutout, they let a must-win game slip away. . After all, the No. 8 seed is chasing far loftier goals. Raonic, from Thornhill, Ont., defeated American Jack Sock 6-3, 6-4, 6-4 in Wimbledons second round on Thursday.CLEVELAND - LeBron James huddles with teammates before each game, pulling them close to deliver a message. In a new TV commercial, James does the same to bring an entire city together.To celebrate James homecoming in Cleveland, Nike launched a stirring advertisement on Thursday to coincide with the Cavaliers season opener against the New York Knicks. James returned to the Cavs this summer after four years in Miami, coming back to Northeast Ohio to try and end the citys 50-year drought without a pro sports championship.Filmed in black and white, the two-minute ad titled Together (
http://youtu.be/n6S1JoCSVNU ) opens with James being introduced before a home game. As the team gathers at midcourt, James implores his teammates — including a cameo by all-star guard Kyrie Irving — to work hard. He tells them they owe Cleveland something. Fans begin trickling down to the floor to join the Cavs in a tight circle as others flock from around the city to Quicken Loans Arena.Soon, Clevelanders, their arms wrapped around each others shoulders, bob and chant in unison with JJames in the middle of them.ddddddddddddThe commercial, set to debut during the telecast of the opener, includes exterior shots of some Cleveland landmarks like The Q, Terminal Tower and restaurants along East Fourth Street. There are cameos by James mom, Gloria, and his high school coach, Dru Joyce, as well as children from the stars family foundation.Browns cornerback Joe Haden said he was moved by the ad.I watched it before practice so I went out there and practiced a little harder, Haden said. It was so sweet, just the way hes basically saying hes doing it for the city.Haden said James wanting to bring a championship to Cleveland is something his Browns teammates want to do, too.For the best player in the world that left and then came back, for him to show that to Cleveland and the fans, I think thats really special, he said.Haden was one of several Browns players expected to attend the Knicks game.In addition with the season opener, the Nike ad is timed with the launch of James new shoe, the LeBron 12 Hrt of a Lion, which retails for $200. ' ' '
