spent many nights in front of the TV watching playoff games along with her baby boy, Bodhi.In | Forum

SAN ANTONIO -- If the San Antonio Spurs werent aware of how poorly theyve played in the opening half of most games this season, they were forcefully reminded recently. Fake Stars Jerseys .After coach Gregg Popovich called out their professionalism and effort, the Spurs rebounded from their first road loss of the season with their most efficient home performance.Kawhi Leonard had 30 points and the Spurs set five season highs, rolling to a 130-101 victory over the Brooklyn Nets on Saturday night.The Spurs led by as many as 38 three days after what Popovich deemed another 24-minute effort in a 95-91 defeat at Chicago.We have so many professional guys and veteran guys, it shouldnt take him to do that, San Antonio reserve guard Patty Mills said, but it definitely affected everyone to know that weve got to lace them up here and do what we do. No one messing around.The Spurs set season highs for points, points in a quarter, points in a half, assists and 3-pointers in winning their 14th straight at home over the Nets. San Antonio also matched its largest margin of victory, set in a season-opening win over Golden State.It feels good, especially to do it at home, said point guard Tony Parker, who had a season-high seven assists. Weve been struggling a little bit at home. We had a good start today. Energy was good. And we kept it for the whole game.The Spurs effort through the opening 36 minutes enabled them to sit Leonard in the final quarter, which was the only time the Nets could slow the sleek 6-foot-7 forward.Leonard was 10 for 18 from the field, including 4 for 7 on 3s, in scoring 30 points or more for the seventh time this season. He had four 30-point games in his previous 324 career games.San Antonio was 14 for 26 on 3-pointers.They execute their offense with pace, Brooklyn coach Kenny Atkinson said. They are tough to chase around; they really share (the ball). It was a great challenge for us and we werent up to it.After a string of anemic starts at home that had frustrated the Spurs, San Antonio set season highs for points in any quarter and any half with a 41-point effort in the opening period that helped produce a 67-52 lead at halftime.The 41 points in the first quarter were nine more than the Spurs had against Chicago in the first half.We didnt like the way we played, Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili said. We needed to feel better about the way we played.San Antonio had five assists on its first six baskets, with Parker collecting a pair of assists off bounce passes for mid-range jumpers from LaMarcus Aldridge and Pau Gasol. The Spurs had a season-high 38 assists.Bojan Bogdanovic led Brooklyn with 20 points.TIP-INSNets: Brooklyn has not won consecutive games all season. ... Nets F Trevor Booker, who has a team-high nine double-doubles, finished with nine points and four rebounds. ... The Nets have not won in San Antonio since Jan. 22, 2002, losing 14 straight on the road against the Spurs. ... The Nets are 1-9 on the road this season. . Brooklyn PG Jeremy Lin missed the game due to a strained left hamstring. ... The Nets have 50 games missed due to injuries this season.Spurs: San Antonio is 40-4 against the Nets at home, the best home record by a team against an opponent in NBA history. ... San Antonio is 13-0 when scoring 100 points or more. ... Gasol had three assists and passed former Lakers big man Vlade Divac for third all-time among those 7-feet or taller. Gasol has 3,543 career assists, placing him behind Kareem Abdul Jabbar (5,660) and Wilt Chamberlain (4,643). ... The Spurs previous high for any quarter was 39 points in the third against the Lakers on Nov. 18. The teams previous high for the opening period was 31 in the season-opening win against Golden State.WORTH WATCHINGThe Spurs gave the Nets plenty of film to watch on how to execute properly.One thing thats great seeing a team like that is watching how they move the ball, how they share the ball (and) how quick their decisions are, Atkinson said. Its good for us as a coaching staff and good for our players to kind of feel that and feel what its like. Hopefully one day we will try to imitate that.ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENTSan Antonio might have the NBAs second-best record at 19-5, but the Spurs know they still have much to improve on.I think in this case we can, Ginobili said. I dont think youre going to find anybody in this locker room that feels satisfied with the way we are playing. We all know we can do so much better. The record is not that important when youre not playing well.UP NEXTNets: At Houston on Monday.Spurs: Host Boston on Wednesday. Stars Jerseys 2020 . But by the time the game started, the Toronto Raptors forward felt even worse. And, for three quarters, it showed as Gay shot a woeful three-for-13 from the field. Dallas Stars Gear . -- Al Jefferson found a groove just in time for the Charlotte Bobcats. https://www.cheapstarsonline.com/ . Ivanovic was leading 7-5, 1-0 when Hantuchova withdrew after falling 0-40 behind in the second game. The match started slowly for Ivanovic, who surrendered her first two serves as Hantuchova took a 5-3 lead. CLEVELAND -- The grueling four-month championship drought could soon be over.Cleveland, yes, Cleveland, a city kicked around for years and where sports heartbreak was engrained in the collective DNA of generations of fans and misery was a fumble or John Elway touchdown pass away, is on deck for another title celebration.This year, everyone else is playing for second place. Its Clevelands turn in the spotlight.The empty cups and bottles had barely been cleaned up from the summer-long party after LeBron James and the Cavaliers stormed back to win the win the NBA Finals, when along come these improbable Indians, a team that has defied the odds all season and advanced to the World Series for the first time since 1997.And in a perfect sports storm almost unimaginable to the most optimistic fan, the Cavs will receive their diamond-studded rings Tuesday night at Quicken Loans Arena and become the first Cleveland team since 1964 to hoist a world championship banner as the Indians throw out the first pitch in Game 1 next door at Progressive Field.Is there any better way? asked James, the star whose return home in 2014 triggered a wave of hope across Northeast Ohio. I dont know, having an ice cream truck outside both arenas at the same time as well. Its great. We get to host the World Series and we get our rings on the same night -- at the same time.If we had a retractable roof it would be probably the loudest (sound) we ever heard, so its pretty special, he said.For years, Cleveland was little more than a punchline to outsiders -- a city dubbed The Mistake On The Lake.These days, the jokes on everyone else. Cleveland is undergoing a 21st century renaissance that intensified when the Cavs stopped the citys dry spell without a major pro sports championship at 52 years.Now the citys abuzz about the Indians, who havent won the World Series since 1948.On Thursday, the final World Series tickets sold out in 15 minutes and fans endured long lines to buy merchandise commemorating the AL pennant.Claudia Beal was one of them, and as she waited patiently at a sporting goods store in suburban Westtlake, the mother of three boys was savoring every second. Dallas Stars Pro Shop. When I moved here, people thought I was crazy. They were like, `Oh, Cleveland, she said, rolling her eyes. And now they see what its like and were getting our turn. I think everyone now realizes what a great city it is. It has this bad rap. I didnt know I was going to move here, and once I got here, I was like, this is amazing.And as Clevelands image changes, so does its people.By winning it all, the Cavs inspired confidence in fans who grew to expect the worst in big moments. Theyd been tortured by Elway beating the Browns in AFC championship games, Michael Jordan knocking down a game-winning shot to sink the Cavs and the Indians losing Game 7 to Florida in 97.But James and his teammates, who have rallied behind the Indians at playoff games this October, gave fans the belief anything is possible. They also took some of the pressure off the citys other teams.Thats part of my whole mindset is to inspire as many people as I possibly can -- from kids growing up in my inner city to professional athletes in our city, James said.Cavs coach Tyronn Lue has entrenched himself into Cleveland since arriving two years ago. Even now, months after his teams historic comeback, hes stopped by fans basking in a title that was always out of reach.I dont know why, but they do come up to me and thank me, Lue said, smiling. Were champs and they carry themselves like that and rightfully so.Anne Balk feels grateful. Like so many Cleveland fans, shes enjoying this 2016 joyride. Her journey, though, has deeper meaning.As the Cavs marched toward a championship, she gave birth and spent many nights in front of the TV watching playoff games along with her baby boy, Bodhi.In a few years, Balk, who shopped for souvenirs while wearing a black hoodie that said, Ohio Against The World, will tell her son the amazing story of his first seasons as a Cleveland fan.You know, she said. This has been quite year for us. ' ' '