The San Antonio Spurs know what they have to do to win this season
Paul Worrilow Color Rush Jersey , and they have a slim margin for error.LaMarcus Aldridge scored 28 points to help the Spurs beat Damian Lillard and the Portland Trail Blazers 116-105 on Saturday night.”It’s been shown in the last month that when we don’t have the aggression and the determination, we’re not winning,” San Antonio veteran Manu Ginobili said.
”Years before, we had enough talent and corporate knowledge to be able to bounce
back. Even if we struggled for 40 minutes, we could execute and figure it out
because of the way we knew each other. Now, it’s not the same.”The Spurs (46-34) snapped a two-game losing streak. They have the same record as New Orleans and Oklahoma City, but are sandwiched between the two in sixth
place based on tiebreakers. Utah is one-half game ahead of all three in fourth
place.San Antonio, which has been without injured star Kawhi Leonard for all but nine games this season, can clinch a playoff spot with a victory over visiting
Sacramento on Monday.Portland (48-32) dropped its third consecutive game and missed out on an opportunity to secure home-court advantage in the first round. Lillard had 33
points for the Trail Blazers, and Evan Turner finished with 18.”We knew that we were going to come across teams that are fighting for their playoff lives,” Lillard said. ”No game is going to be easy.”Former All-Star teammates Aldridge and Lillard dueled on a night when both teams shot well from the field.Lillard was 11 for 22, including 6 for 12 from beyond the arc. He returned after missing one game with an injured left ankle.Aldridge made his first five shots, including a left-handed runner he seemed to throw up to rebound against the smaller double-team on him. He finished 13
for 22.Ginobili gave San Antonio a needed boost, scoring 17 points on 7-for-7 shooting.”I was feeling that type of rush and that type of excitement flow
Authentic DJ Moore Jersey ,” Ginobili said.The 40-year-old Ginobili had back-to-back 3-pointers followed by a right-handed layup against Al-Farouq Aminu to turn a four-point game into a
101-89 lead.”That’s why he’s a Hall of Famer, he hasn’t really lost a step,” Trail Blazers guard CJ McCollum said. ”His shot’s still good. He’s still able to get
to that left hand, and even tonight he finished two right-hand shots that are
pretty high degree of difficulty, one scoop in the lane and another scoop going
out of bounds.”McCollum finished with 17 points for Portland.Dejounte Murray finished with 17 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio.TIP-INSTrail Blazers: Turner departed in the final minute with a cut along his right brow caused by an inadvertent blow by Murray on a rebound. . Jusuf Nurkic, who
had 12 points and 12 rebounds, received a technical foul with 36.4 seconds left
in the first half. Nurkic was yelling at official Curtis Blair for a foul
assessed to him on a drive by Murray. … Maurice Harkless missed his seventh
straight game with an injured left knee. … Ed Davis missed his fourth straight
game due to an injured right ankle.Spurs: Pau Gasol played in his 1,194th career game, moving past Alex English for 42nd in league history. … Danny Green was assessed his first technical foul
of the season with 10:40 remaining in the first half. After missing a layup,
Green began jumping and clapping his hands angrily because no foul was called on
Meyers Leonard. … The Spurs hold an 84-82 lead against the Trail Blazers in
their overall series.UP NEXTTrail Blazers: Visit Denver on Monday night.Spurs: Host Sacramento on Monday night.STILL GOODMcCollum said Portland is still in great position.”We’re good,” McCollum said. ”If you had told me that we have 48 wins and have two games left and a chance to finish in third place, I would have told you
I’ll take it. Considering where we’re at, there’s no excuses for injuries and
stuff like that, but I feel like we’re heading in the right direction heading to
the playoffs. We should be fully healthy or close to fully healthy and I think
that will make a difference.”The Trail Blazers close the season against Denver and Utah.NAP POWERGinobili has said he plays best when he can take a nap on game day and he made sure to take one Saturday.”I even slept nine hours last night
Jonathan Drouin Jersey , so I was very juicy,” Ginobili said.Aaron Rodgers' no-look touchdown pass is still the talk of Green Bay Packers training
camp.
The defense was called for offsides to give Rodgers a free play during a two-minute drill in practice Thursday. The play was going left. Rodgers was
looking left. But he threw the ball to his right.Touchdown, Geronimo Allison.The play looks even better on film to coach Mike McCarthy."I think you appreciate it more when you watch the video. I know I did, because he spoils you," McCarthy said Friday. "You don't have too many practices
around here where he doesn't make that throw where you're just like, 'OK, file
that onto the library. That's the way you want to teach it.'"Packers fans who dared to worry about Rodgers' seven interceptions during the first five days of camp can breathe easy. The two-time NFL MVP likes how the
offense has worked in the first week."Well, I'm working on things in training camp. I'm working on throws, whether it's looking or no-looking. Trying different plays that we we're working in,"
Rodgers said.A 7-9 finish last season ended a streak of eight straight playoff appearances for the Packers. The offense struggled while Rodgers was out with broken
collarbone, and the defense had familiar problems against the pass.McCarthy overhauled the coaching staff after the season, which included bringing back Joe Philbin as offensive coordinator. Philbin was the coordinator
when the Packers won the Super Bowl in the 2010 season."We've done a medium overhaul of some offensive concepts, so working on some new stuff and trying to get on the same page with receivers," Rodgers added.An added wrinkle for Rodgers is the new looks in practice from coordinator Mike Pettine's defense. His units have finished in the top 10 in the league when
he's been in charge."Well Phillip Gaines Color Rush Jersey , they're just so multiple. They have a lot of different pressures and types of pressures," Rodgers said. "They're
giving you pressures where they can actually get home. We haven't had that issue
in a while, where they scheme pressures to have a free guy on the play."It gives the linemen good practice for the regular season, too, since the NFC North-rival Minnesota Vikings are among teams that run pressures similar to what
the Packers' defense is doing now."So the protection elements for offense are really challenged by his defense, which is great for us," Rodgers said.Getting Bryan Bulaga back will help too. The veteran right tackle was activated off the physically-unable-to-perform list on Friday and returned to
practice on a limited basis for the first time since tearing his right ACL in
Week 9 last year."I am very optimistic about Week 1, I really am," Bulaga said. "I still have some work to do to get to it but it's definitely looking better than it did,
say, four months ago, even though I thought I'd still get to that point."His return would solidify a right side of the line that will already have a new starter at guard. Bulaga is a steady, reliable presence up front who has
played in big spots with Rodgers."He's a pro's pro. He knows how to play the game," Rodgers said. "Unfortunately Authentic Alexander Alexeyev Jersey , he's sustained a couple of tough injuries. But when he's out there, he's a rock."At its best, a starting five with Bulaga gives Rodgers just enough time to get out of trouble and outside the pocket, where the quarterback might be most
dangerous.As he showed with his no-look TD throw to Allison.NOTES: WR Jake Kumerow, an undrafted free agent in his second year out of Division III Wisconsin-Whitewater, continues to impress with his hands and
route-running ability. He could be a long shot to make the roster, especially
after the Packers drafted three receivers this year. But the 6-foot-4 Kumerow
has earned some reps with the first-string offense and caught Rodgers'
attention. "So there's going to be some tough decisions when the cutdown
happens," Rodgers said. "We drafted three guys, so. If you're playing today,
you'd like him on the field." Arizona Cardinals Jerseys
