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DENNIS WASZAK Jr., AP Sports Writer
NEW YORK (AP) —
The Denver Broncos and Seattle Seahawks are all settled in for Super Bowl week.
Next up: media day.
And who knows what will be heard — or seen — on Tuesday at the Prudential Center in Newark, N.J.
After two days of minimal media appearances, the AFC and NFC champions will face hordes of reporters looking to further break down the matchup between the Broncos' top-ranked offense and the Seahawks' No. 1 defense.
Duncan, Spurs stroll past Hawks, 105-79
CHARLES ODUM, AP Sports Writer
ATLANTA (AP) — Gregg Popovich said he couldn't enjoy a lopsided win over longtime Spurs assistant Mike Budenholzer.
Tim Duncan had 17 points and 16 rebounds in another dominant performance against Atlanta and San Antonio coasted to a 105-79 win over the short-handed Hawks on Friday night.
Budenholzer, in his first season as the Hawks' coach, was in the San Antonio organization for 19 years, including 17 as an assistant, and the last six as Popovich's top aide. Popovich said facing Budenholzer was difficult.
"Actually, it's no fun at all, to tell you the truth," Popovich said. "If you win, you feel bad. If you lose you always feel bad. It's a no-win when that happens."
The Hawks, already short-handed without Pero Antic and DeMarre Carroll, lost point guard Jeff Teague to a left ankle sprain in the second period. Teague didn't return and is expected to miss at least two games.
Boris Diaw led the Spurs with 21 points. Patty Mills, who made a career-high six 3-pointers, had 18 points.
Cory Joseph started for Kawhi Leonard, who will miss three to four weeks with a broken bone in his right hand. Joseph had eight points, six rebounds, three assists and two steals.
Leonard joined starting center Tiago Splitter (sprained right shoulder) and former starter Danny Green (broken left index finger) on San Antonio's injured list.
Mills said it was "everyone's mindset" to step up for the missing players.
"We've got big shoes to fill until everyone gets back," Mills said. "Guys go down, we've still got to stick to the game plan and we were able to do that tonight."
The Hawks have an even longer injury list.
Budenholzer said Teague will not be with the team for a two-game trip to Milwaukee and Oklahoma City. The Hawks play at Milwaukee on Saturday night.
"We will hope that Jeff recovers quickly," Budenholzer said.
Teague was leading the Hawks with nine points when he hurt his ankle by landing on Duncan's foot. Teague then limped off the court.
Even with Teague, the Hawks had only 10 players in uniform. They played their first game after losing Antic for two to four weeks with a stress fracture in his right ankle. Antic had been the replacement for Al Horford, who was lost for the season when he tore his right pectoral muscle on Dec. 26.
Carroll was held out with a mild strain to his left hamstring.
Budenholzer said the Hawks can't focus on the injuries.
"I think nobody else in the league cares if there's a mounting toll or what our injury status is," Budenholzer said.
Paul Millsap's 15 points led the Hawks, who set a season scoring low.
Duncan, who blocked four shots, and point guard Tony Parker didn't return after leaving the game with the Spurs leading 77-50 late in the third quarter. The Spurs used backup players in the fourth.
Parker had 11 points and seven assists.
Duncan, who had 23 points and 21 rebounds in the Spurs' 102-100 win over the Hawks on Dec. 2 in San Antonio, enjoyed a strong start in the rematch. He blocked Millsap's shot on the Hawks' first possession, then hit a jumper before blocking an attempt by Gustavo Ayon on Atlanta's next attempt.
The Hawks' last lead was 7-6. Back-to-back baskets by Parker and Duncan gave San Antonio the lead for good. Mills sank three 3-pointers in the final minutes of the opening period to stretch the lead to 27-14. The Spurs kept the lead in double figures the remainder of the game.
"It doesn't make us feel any better, but this is what they do," said Atlanta's Kyle Korver. "They're a well-oiled machine."
Korver scored his only points on a 3-pointer with about 6 minutes remaining in the first half. He extended his NBA record to 111 consecutive games with a 3-pointer.
Budenholzer was called for a technical foul in the second quarter.
NOTES: Popovich tied Red Auerbach for 10th place all-time with 938 wins. ... Duncan posted his 17th double-double of the season. ... The Hawks set their previous scoring low in an 83-80 loss to Houston on Jan. 10. ... The Spurs are 6-0 on the road against Eastern Conference teams. ... San Antonio signed G Othyus Jeffers to a 10-day contract. Jeffers averaged 22.8 points and 11.4 rebounds in 22 games with the Iowa Energy of the NBA Development League this season.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
IRVING, Texas (AP) —
The Dallas Cowboys have signed kicker Dan Bailey to a new seven-year contract through the 2020 season.
Bailey, who originally signed with Dallas as an unrestricted free agent out of Oklahoma State after the 2011 draft, was set to be a restricted free agent.
In three seasons with the Cowboys, Bailey has made 91 percent of his field goals (89 of 98) and all 123 extra-point attempts. He has also handled kickoffs. Bailey has already set a team record with his eight career game-winning field goals. His career long field goal is 53 yards, which he did twice in one game.
Copyright 2014 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
NEW YORK (AP) —
The Super Bowl will have a touch of the classical this year: Opera star Renee Fleming will sing the national anthem.
A.D. Ibarra
-Eagle Pass
Former CC Winn High School standout Cristian Paredes is still sporting the Silver and Black, but with a royal tinge as he has been playing at Sedona Red Rock High School in Arizona as the senior point guard for the Red Rock Scorpions in the Arizona Interscholastic Association's Western Conference.
Both he and Eduardo Rocha took up the Sedona Red Rock Head Coach Greg Strickland's advice to finish their high school careers there and they seem to be making headway into a successful season.
They both start their days at about 5:30 in the morning which are just before mandatory basketball practices at 6:00 after team breakfast and their school day begins at 7:30.
"We go to school from 7:30 to 3:15 before we have another team practice unless it's a game day," says Paredes who dropped 41 points including seven threes on Chaminade Prep, one of the leading prep schools in the state.
Paredes has been under the tutelage of both Marlon Minifee, formerly of the Minnesota Timberwolves and BU Stephens (Who played on some highly successful football teams at Judson HS in San Antonio) who both work directly with George Hill formerly of the San Antonio Spurs who now plays in his home state of Indiana with the Pacers.
"I really appreciate all the help I received from George as he has opened doors for me that I never could've had if not for them," he concluded referring to that evening in September of 2010 when this reporter introduced him to Hill on a cold and rainy evening at the Student Activity Center as he was interviewed by Morris Libson of KINL Sports, "Now that I am concluding my studies and developing my basketball skills, Sky's the Limit." Paredes is presently leading the state of Arizona in scoring and is #9 in the nation.
Cristian made an appearance on Alianza Deportiva on CSN-TV Channel 13 in Eagle Pass, Texas.
NEW YORK (AP) —
Yankees third baseman Alex Rodriguez sued Major League Baseball and the Major League Baseball Players Association in an effort to overturn the season-long drug suspension imposed last weekend by arbitrator Fredric Horowitz.
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“We are pleased to join Federación Mexicana de Fútbol and Soccer United Marketing in bringing this highly anticipated match to San Antonio," said Nicholas Langella, Alamodome General Manager. "Throughout the years, the Alamodome has been the site of several high profile soccer matches, and we look forward to bringing yet another memorable event to San Antonio and south Texas soccer fans.”
In Nov. 2004, the Alamodome hosted the Mexican National team in a U.S. tour match, with Mexico defeating Guatemala 2-0.
Mexico and Korea Republic have played 10 games all-time with a 5-3-2 winning record for Mexico.
The two nations last met in 2006 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, with Korea Republic winning 1-0.
The Asian country was one of the first nations to qualify to the 2014 FIFA World Cup in Brazil after finishing second in Group A of the Asian zone qualification.
The match in San Antonio will be the first of five matches for El Tricolor as part of the annual U.S. tour.
Additional venues and opponents of Mexico’s 2014 U.S. Tour will be announced at a later date, in addition to media accreditation details.
STATESBORO, Ga. (AP) — Georgia Southern on Friday named Sam Houston State coach Willie Fritz to lead the Eagles into their new era as a Football Bowl Subdivision team.
Fritz, who was 40-15 in four years with Sam Houston State, will succeed Jeff Monken, who was named Army's coach on Dec. 24.
KRISTIE RIEKEN, AP Sports Writer
HOUSTON (AP) —
Bill O'Brien has gone from perhaps the toughest coaching job in college football to a coveted gig with one of the NFL's most respected teams.
Less than two years after replacing Joe Paterno as coach at Penn State, the 44-year-old O'Brien has returned to the NFL as coach of the Houston Texans. He was an offensive assistant under Bill Belichick at New England from 2007-12, but the Penn State job was his first as a head coach.
STEPHEN HAWKINS, AP Sports Writer
Baylor coach Art Briles said Friday he has no desire to pursue another job and plans to lead the defending Big 12 champion Bears into their new stadium next fall.
With his name linked to the opening at Texas, and speculation increasing after the Bears' most successful season ever, Briles sent a tweet on his account that read "Contrary to reports and rumors I am a Baylor Bear — 2013 Big 12 Champs." The school later released a statement from the coach.
