04-26-2019, 12:52 AM
CHICAGO -- It didnt take long for the San Antonio Spurs to show the Chicago Bulls why theyre leading the NBA. Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, and the Spurs beat the Bulls 104-96 Tuesday night for their seventh straight win and 10th in their last 11. San Antonio jumped out to a big advantage early, taking a 38-14 lead after one quarter and going up 61-33 into halftime. That helped them improve to 24-6 on the road, the NBAs best mark away from home. Kawhi Leonard added 16 and nine rebounds for the Spurs (47-16), who maintained their hold on the NBAs best record. With the win they stayed a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and Indiana, who both won. "Wonderful game, we were very sharp," Ginobili said. "We made a lot of shots in the beginning, which gave us a lead that ... its easier to play like that." Parker had 18 at halftime and went 8 for 15 from the field for a team that made 51 per cent overall against one of the NBAs best defensive clubs. Ginobili was 9 of 11. Also the leagues top 3-point shooting team at 39.2 per cent, San Antonio made 12 of 21 from behind the arc, including four from Ginobili. That and the big first half added up to another win for the Spurs, who are 14-3 since a 96-86 loss to Chicago on Jan. 29 and can improve on that Wednesday at home against Portland. The Spurs roster is finally healthy, something coach Gregg Popovich noted. "We seem like were playing pretty consistently now," Popovich said. "I dont think were going to win every game down the stretch." The Bulls, meanwhile, were coming off a dramatic 95-88 win Sunday over the Heat but couldnt build off that victory, falling to 1-2 on a season-high six-game homestand that also has games with the Rockets, Kings and Thunder. Coach Tom Thibodeau blamed himself for the slow start. "I told them, thats completely on me. My job is to have them ready. We had no edge to us," Thibodeau said. "Thats a championship-calibre team thats playing on all cylinders and theyre going after it, so if you dont match that intensity to start, you are going to get in a big hole. "So I didnt prepare them the way they needed to be prepared for that, so thats on me." D.J. Augustin led the Bulls with 24 points and Jimmy Butler had 23. Joakim Noah, whose name has started to be mentioned in MVP discussions, had 13 and eight rebounds. That all was a far cry from Sunday, when the Bulls held Miami to 40.5 per cent shooting and overcame a 42.2 per cent shooting game of their own. That didnt happen Tuesday for the Bulls, who were 43 per cent from the field. "Its on us," Butler said. "Were the ones out there playing, so we have to bring it each and every night. Thibs can only do so much. You learn from it." The Bulls saw early how costly a slow start can be, only pulling to within eight late in the fourth quarter. Ginobilis reverse layup with a second left in the period gave San Antonio a 38-14 lead after the first. The Spurs ended the half leading by 28 and hitting 61 per cent from the field, looking like a team peaking. Ginobili, however, hopes they arent doing that too early. "Its not the right time yet. Still 20 games to go," Ginobili said. NOTES: Spurs guard and former Bull Marco Belinelli scored 10 points and got a warm reception when he checked in for the first time with 10.1 seconds left in the first quarter. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich noted Belinellis contributions and jokingly said hes "a great source for Italian restaurants around the league." ... Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is not surprised fatigue hasnt hit his team yet, despite its lack of depth. "Whatever it is that youre facing, youve got to be ready to accept that challenge and be ready to play," he said. ... Because of the injuries the Spurs have suffered this season, Popovich was asked if this season has been his best coaching job. "Havent they all been brilliant?" he said. "I got no clue. My 2-22 season in Pomona was my best." ... Popovich said Noahs personality is "the opposite" of Duncan in terms of showing emotion, but praised the Bulls centres emotional fire. Custom Colts Jerseys . -- Joe Thornton scored the tiebreaking goal with 5:39 left in regulation to help the San Jose Sharks overcome a two-goal deficit to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins 5-3 on Thursday night. Darius Leonard Jersey . None of them was better than playing with LeBron James again. http://www.coltsofficialstore.us/authent...ts-jersey/. -- Sami Salo joked that as the shootout went on and on, one thing went through his mind: "Youve got to tie up your skates. Nyheim Hines Jersey . -- The Los Angeles Dodgers signed Cuban shortstop Erisbel Arruebarrena to a $25 million, five-year contract Saturday. Ryan Grant Jersey . Sterling was banned for life and fined US$2.5 million by the NBA on Tuesday for racist comments the league says he made in a recorded conversation. Nash, who plays for the rival L.A. Lakers, spoke as a representative of current NBA players at a press conference assembled by Sacramento mayor and National Basketball Players Association adviser Kevin Johnson. KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- James Loney delivered the clutch hit for Tampa Bay after Chris Archer kept Kansas City from getting one. Loney hit an RBI single with two outs in the ninth inning to lift the Rays over the Royals 1-0 on Tuesday night following an impressive pitchers duel between top young arms. Archer wriggled out of two bases-loaded jams and went seven innings. Royals rookie Yordano Ventura dazzled in his season debut, holding Tampa Bay to two hits in six innings. "I saw some really good pitching on the other side," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said. "Archer was on top of his game. This guy had a big league two-seamer, 92-95 mph, throwing strikes with it, real efficient with his two-seamer and his slider. He had some nasty stuff working." Loneys grounder to right scored Wil Myers, who snapped an 0-for-15 slump when he reached on an infield single to start the ninth. Myers advanced on a two-out wild pitch by Greg Holland (0-1). "Loney is a very calm guy," Rays manager Joe Maddon said. "He does not get excited and I appreciate that about him." Loneys grounder got past a diving Danny Valencia at second base. "I wanted to hit it hard," Loney said. "You always want to hit it hard and hopefully not at somebody." Holland said he would have liked to have that last pitch to Loney back. "With first base open and essentially the winning run on second, Ive got to get that ball down a little more," Holland said. "Ive got to be smarter than that. In that mindset, I didnt execute the pitch and it cost us the game." Joel Peralta (1-1) struck out Valencia with the bases loaded, and Grant Balfour worked the ninth for his second save. Ventura walked none and struck out six, including Myers three times. "Ventura was really throwing good fastballs, triple digits at times," Yost said. "He threw some good breaking balls, but really had a good changeup working to keep them off balance. He matched up against a good pitcher and came out with nothing to show for it." Venturas iinitial scheduled start in Detroit was rained out, so he was making his first appearance since March 29 in spring training.dddddddddddd "Its a lot of time between pitching," Ventura said. "Its my job. No matter how many days off, you have to do your job. I was just glad I was able to do my job today. Im used to pitching every five days. Thats what I want. It was a little tough." Archer pitched out of bases-loaded, one-out jams in the third and sixth. He induced Eric Hosmer to ground into a double play to end the third. In the sixth, Archer retired Alex Gordon on an infield popup and Valencia on a grounder to leave the bases full. "I had confidence," Archer said. "I didnt at any point think I was going to fail. The way we were playing D I felt like we were going to get it done." The Royals loaded the bases again in the eighth against Jake McGee and Peralta, but Valencia looked at three straight strikes from Peralta to end the inning. Mike Moustakas, hitless in his first 21 at-bats this season, opened the Royals ninth with a single to centre but went no further. Tampa Bay missed an opportunity in the eighth when Royals reliever Wade Davis walked Matt Joyce and plunked pinch-hitter Logan Forsythe with a pitch. Davis recovered to strike out Yunel Escobar and David DeJesus. NOTES: The Rays placed LHP Matt Moore on the 15-day disabled list with an elbow injury. An MRI exam was inconclusive and Moore will see Dr. James Andrews on Wednesday or Thursday for further exams. ... The Rays recalled LHP Jeff Beliveau from Triple-A Durham. ... Tests revealed Royals 2B Omar Infante has a sprained jaw, but no fracture, after being struck by a pitch from Heath Bell in the seventh inning Monday. Infante, who needed six stiches, will be evaluated over the next 48 hours, but the preliminary diagnosis was that he would not miss many games. ... Valencia made his first big league start at second base. ... The Royals lost for the first time since Aug. 30, 2013, at Toronto when allowing four hits or fewer. 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