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homestand Monday versus New Orleans,
Tim Duncan could have easily gone out on top, with his fifth NBA championship trophy under his arm and his health intact just a few months after his 38th birthday. Vapormax Sale . Theres just no way. Duncan is having too much fun with his San Antonio Spurs coaches and teammates, and hes playing too well to call it quits now. Duncan has decided to exercise the option on his contract for 2014-15 and will return next season, a person with knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press on Monday. The person requested anonymity because an official announcement has not been made. As the Spurs beat the two-time defending champion Miami Heat in the NBA Finals earlier this month, Duncan was asked several times about his future, as he has been for the last five or six years. He was noncommittal, saying he would take some time after the season ended to mull his decision. But after Game 5, most of the Spurs said they expected the group to return and now Duncan has reached his decision, which was first reported by Yahoo! Sports. He will make about $10.3 million next season in the final year of a two-year agreement that was drawn up specifically to allow the Spurs the financial flexibility to surround Duncan with top-shelf talent. "He feels a responsibility to his teammates," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said after the team won the championship. "He enjoys them. He wants to hang around as long as he can while hes useful and while hes having an impact on the game. He takes care of his body. He works out all summer long with a variety of different things, boxing, swimming. Hes very careful about what he puts in his body, so he does everything he can to maintain a level of play. "At some point," Popovich added, "that will stop." But not this year. When Duncan looked around at the Spurs, he saw every reason to come back and try to do just about the only thing the Spurs havent done during his 17 years there -- win back-to-back titles. In Popovich he has perhaps the best coach in the game, one who has established a culture of teamwork, success and stability that is unparalleled in the league. In Tony Parker and Manu Ginobili, he has two trusted teammates who have been by his side for years, have sacrificed money, fame and statistics right along with him to build the Spurs organization into the envy of the NBA. And in Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard, Duncan has a young, fresh-faced star on the rise to carry more of the load as the Big Three get older. "With the front office putting the teams together that weve had and us playing smaller roles and our roles changing over the years, and us happy to accept the roles that were in, I feel we can do it until we feel we dont want to do it anymore," Duncan said two weeks ago. Perhaps as important as anything, Duncan is still one of the best big men in the league. He was named first team All-NBA in 2012-13 as he helped the Spurs to the finals, where they lost to the Heat in a heart-breaking seven-game series. This season, Duncan averaged 15.1 points, 9.7 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in just 29.2 minutes per game, playing in a system expertly devised by Popovich to limit the wear and tear on his body. He shot almost 57 per cent in the finals and dismantled Heat star Chris Bosh, who grew up with a Duncan poster on his bedroom wall. "Weve been on our last run for the last five or six years from how everyone wants to put it," Duncan said. "We show up every year, and we try to put together the best teams and the best runs possible because what people say doesnt matter to us. "As I said, as long as we feel were being effective, were going to stay out here and were going to play. We feel like we can be effective, and we have been." Cheap Vapormax . -- Pinch-runner Rajai Daviss decision to steal third base just as Oakland catcher Derek Norris was throwing the ball back to the pitcher caught most everyone by surprise -- including several of his Detroit teammates. Vapormax 2020 . The Extreme Heat Policy was enacted at Melbourne Park just before 2 p.m. Thursday, suspending all matches on outer courts until the early evening and requiring the closure of the retractable roofs at Rod Laver and Hisense arenas before play could continue on the show courts.The Toronto Raptors will try to snap a four-game losing streak Saturday night when they welcome their Atlantic Division rivals, the Boston Celtics, to Air Canada Centre. The Raptors lost the last three games on a western road trip, then came home and fell to the Charlotte Hornets on Thursday night. Toronto fell into a tie for third in the Eastern Conference, but still owns an 8 1/2-game lead in the division. On Thursday, Kyle Lowry recorded 24 points, seven rebounds and seven assists to lead Toronto in a 103-95 home loss to the Hornets. The loss snapped a five- game home winning streak for the Raptors. Lou Williams chipped in 15 points off the bench, followed by 11 from Greivis Vasquez. Jonas Valanciunas added 10 and six rebounds, but the starting forward combination of Landry Fields and Amir Johnson combined for five points. The Hornets took a nine-point lead after three quarters, but the Raptors fought. Patrick Pattersons tip-in whittled the deficit to 99-95 with 42.3 seconds left. Charlottes Kemba Walker, however, nailed a back-breaking, step-back left wing jumper at the other end with the shot clock winding down to essentially seal the outcome. Weve got to find seven or eight guys interested in competing at that high level, Raptors coach Dwane Casey said. The Raptors still have the Detroit Pistons, Philadelphia 76ers, Atlanta Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans left on this homestand. Bostons three-game road trip comes to an end Saturday. It opened the trip with a win at Brooklyn, but was dealt a 107-103 overtime loss against Indiana last night. The Celtics had to shuffle their lineup prior to the game after sending Brandan Wrightt to the Phoenix Suns in exchange for a protected 2015 first- round pick as well as a trade exception. Vapormax From China. Wright was acquired in the Rajon Rondo deal a few weeks ago. It was also reported leading scorer Jeff Green is expected to be traded to the Memphis Grizzlies for veteran Tayshaun Prince and another protected first- round pick. The Celtics and Grizzlies are allegedly awaiting authorization from a third unidentified team to complete that trade. Celtics guard Avery Bradley knows its a business and the team must remain focused on winning. Its not a distraction at all, Bradley told the teams website. Its part of the business. Were all professionals and all we can do is focus on the game and thats what we all were doing. The Celtics lost focus in overtime Friday against the Pacers, who scored 13 of the 22 points in the extra period after allowing 34 points in the fourth quarter. Bradley led the way with 23 points and buried a big 3-pointer to send the game into OT. Brandon Bass scored 17 and Evan Turner finished with nine points, 15 rebounds and seven assists. Turners bucket made it 103-102 with less than two minutes remaining, but the Pacers battled back behind David West. It was a tough day. A unique day, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens remarked. We came out and battled. Boston has lost eight of its last 10 games, and is only 4-11 on the road. It will begin a three-game homestand Monday versus New Orleans, Atlanta and Chicago. The Raptors defeated the Celtics in Boston on Nov. 5 and have taken three in a row and five of the last six in this series. Toronto is 3-0 in recent history as the host against the Cs. ' ' '
- Created: Dec 24 '19
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