r assists in 23 games since a strong opener against the Philadelphia Flyers.dddddddddddd Vigneault said his line shuffling had to do

SAN ANTONIO -- The fact that San Antonio weathered a spate of injuries and a road trip that lasted nearly a month did not surprise Detroit coach John Loyer. But the efficiency the Spurs showed in their return home and return to health left him and the Pistons a bit awe-struck. Marco Belinelli had 20 points to lead eight San Antonio players in double figures, and the Spurs worked through a lethargic start to beat the Pistons 120-110 on Wednesday night. Playing without injured All-Star point guard Tony Parker, San Antonio matched its season high with 34 assists while going 44 for 82 from the field (54 per cent). "Against the Spurs, you do not guard against two or three players; you guard a system of players," Loyer said. "They just plug guys in and find a way. Their ability to shoot the basketball separates them from being a very good team to close to a great team." Kawhi Leonard had 15 points for San Antonio in his return from a 14-game absence due to a broken finger. Manu Ginobili scored 16 points, Tim Duncan and Tiago Splitter had 13 apiece, Boris Diaw added 12, Patty Mills 11 and Cory Joseph 10. Ginobili had a team-high nine assists, Splitter added six and Leonard, Diaw and Belinelli had four each as the Spurs tied the season mark they set Jan. 4 against the Los Angeles Clippers. "You get 34 assists, thats really incredible," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "So the ball movement was fantastic, the pace, we rebounded a little better. It was a good win for them, being on the road so long. Coming home, they were a little anxious, playing a little fast in the first half. They calmed down and started playing solid basketball." Josh Smith scored 24 points for Detroit, which has lost three straight. Will Bynum added 18 points, Rodney Stuckey 17 and Andre Drummond had 16 points and 17 rebounds. The Spurs got off to a sloppy start despite having two practices during a five-day break following their annual Rodeo Road Trip that lasted nearly a month. "Its a big problem with us and we know it," Duncan said. "I think were trying to play very fast -- a little faster than were used to playing. Guys are trying to be really unselfish and force things some times. Weve got to take care of that at some point. Its a work in progress. Thats what we use the entire season for." The Spurs had 11 turnovers in the opening half, leading to 13 points and some pointed coaching by Popovich. "What the heck are you guys doing?" he screamed during a timeout following consecutive turnovers. In the second half, San Antonio returned to the crisp ball movement that became a staple of its early victories. The Spurs had 10 assists in the third quarter while shooting 12 for 19 from the field. Leonard had the initial assist of the quarter, leaping over a fallen defender to throw a bounce pass that Duncan gathered for a running slam ahead of Smith. "He made a huge difference for us on both ends," Duncan said. "Just having his length in there, especially in situations where theyre very good on the offensive glass. ... It was just great all around to have him back." San Antonio went on a 17-6 run beginning midway through the third to take an 85-75 lead with 2 minutes left in the quarter. Belinelli had seven points in the run and Ginobili added five points and assisted on two of Belinellis baskets. Belinelli returned the favour later, drawing Kyle Singler away defensively on a fast break and dishing to Ginobili for an open layup that gave San Antonio a 111-99 lead with 3:36 remaining in the game. "They are one of the best executing teams in the league," Loyer said. "They are a good team coached by a great coach. There comes a point in the game where you tell yourself you are in the game, down three or four, and then it turns into an 11-point game before you know it." Leonard missed his first two tries from the field in his first game since Jan. 22, coming up a foot short on a 16-foot attempt from the right corner on the games opening shot. He was credited with a follow of a missed free throw that Drummond appeared to tip in. "You got 20,000 fans watching you -- yeah, it took me a while," Leonard said. "Just (trying) to not think about my hand. Just go out there and play." Leonard followed with a 3-pointer and threw down a right-handed dunk on Smith off an alley-oop pass from Joseph. Leonard grabbed the brace on his right hand after the dunk, but quickly rose to race back on defence. "I thought he was great," Popovich said. "Thats a long time to not be on the court. His rhythm was pretty good. He played decent defence, took a few shots and made a couple. He did well. He did better than I would have thought, really, after all that time." Smith scored eight of Detroits final 10 points in the first quarter and had 20 in the first half. "We put up a good fight, but in order to beat an elite team like San Antonio, especially on the road, you have to be able to kind of play perfect basketball," he said. NOTES: Popovich had lunch with former President Bill Clinton, San Antonio Mayor Julian Castro and former mayor Henry Cisneros. Clinton was in town to celebrate Cisneros being honoured with the International Citizen Award from the World Affairs Council of San Antonio. ... Ginobilis left foot burst through the bottom of his sneaker as he planted while guarding Stuckey, leaving the shoe dangling from his ankle as if it had been unzipped. Popovich had the Spurs call a timeout to check on Ginobili, who shrugged when asked what happened. A ball boy quickly raced to the locker room to get a replacement in time for Ginobili to return to the court. "It was a great pit stop," Ginobili said. cheap nfl jerseys authentic . -- Phil Hughes ended a personal losing streak that dated to last July, pitching into the seventh inning Sunday and helping the Twins top the Kansas City Royals 8-3 to avoid a three-game sweep. nba jerseys sale cheap . Asdrubal Cabrera had four hits and three RBIs, Michael Brantley also homered and the Indians beat the injury-riddled Minnesota Twins 9-4 Thursday for their first three-game winning streak this season. http://www.cheapnbajerseyssale.com/.J. -- John Elway says Peyton Manning cannot stamp himself as the greatest quarterback in NFL history even if he wins the Super Bowl on Sunday. wholesale nfl jerseys china .Kessy tried to show what he can do playing left wing for the Oilers in 5-0 loss to the Chicago Blackhawks on Sunday in pre-season action. authentic nba jerseys .C. -- Cam Newton wasnt flawless on Sunday.Brad Richards looked to be on his way out of New York in 2013, when former Rangers coach John Tortorella not only demoted the veteran centre but scratched him in the playoffs. A year later, coach Alain Vigneault started down the same path by putting the 34-year-old on left wing of the Rangers fourth line in Game 4 of the Stanley Cup final. Richards played just nine minutes 22 seconds at even strength and a total of 13:20 including power-play time. Vigneault said he met with his lines individually, including Richards, Brian Boyle and Derek Dorsett. He wanted to spell out his reasoning and assignments. "I talked to Brads line. I talked to Brad about the decision I made," Vigneault said Wednesday night after the Rangers 2-1 victory that staved off elimination. "I mean, at this time of the year its only about one thing: Its about the team. You guys know how Richards has been this year, the ultimate pro. Hes fine with whatever I do." Richards, a strong candidate to be bought out of the final six years and US$27 million left on his contract, has no points in the Cup final annd just four goals and four assists in 23 games since a strong opener against the Philadelphia Flyers.dddddddddddd Vigneault said his line shuffling had to do with giving forward Dominic Moore a bigger role. As a result, though, he put Richards in a tough spot to be effective on a checking fourth line. Richards skated just 13 shifts. The 34-year-old managed a couple of quality scoring chances on the power play and was on the ice for a strong five-on-five shift that ended with a Kings penalty. Still, though, longtime friend Martin St. Louis knows what a demotion can mean to any star players ego. Richards was once a Canadian Olympian and 90-point scorer in the NHL. "Richies a pro and a tremendous leader," St. Louis said. "Im sure its tough for him. Hes a pro and a great teammate." Richards isnt expected to be a teammate of St. Louis for much longer. The Rangers have one more compliance buyout to use and just one more off-season window in which to use it, and these playoffs have done little to dispel the notion that hell be playing elsewhere next season. ' ' '