SACRAMENTO, Calif. Semyon Varlamov Avalanche Jersey . - While a fast-paced offence has become more of a fixture in recent years, the San Antonio Spurs can still grind out games when needed. Marco Belinelli scored 13 of his 17 points in the fourth quarter, Kawhi Leonard had 15 points and seven rebounds and the NBA-leading Spurs turned in a vintage performance to beat the Sacramento Kings 99-79 on Friday night for their 12th straight win. "It was an ugly game, wasnt it?" Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said, proudly. Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker added 14 points apiece, and Tiago Splitter had 11 points and 11 rebounds for the Spurs (52-16), who remain 1 1/2 games ahead of Oklahoma City and Indiana for the leagues best record. The winning streak also is San Antonios longest since rolling off 12 in a row in November 2010. Sacramento outshot the Spurs 40 per cent to 38.7 per cent but was outrebounded 52 to 48. San Antonio forced 15 turnovers and committed only nine, pulling away in the fourth quarter behind its shut-down defence. "It was one of those games where we couldnt make a shot," Ginobili said. "The good thing is that they couldnt, either." Isaiah Thomas scored 18 points and DeMarcus Cousins had 15 points and 13 rebounds for the Kings, who were held to a season low in points against a franchise that has dominated them — like a lot of other teams — for a decade. The Spurs finished 3-0 against Sacramento this season. Theyve also won 30 of the past 33 meetings, including nine straight overall and 11 in a row in Californias capital city. "If you had told me going into tonights game that we hold the Spurs to 99 points, 38 per cent from the field, and 20 per cent from three-point, I wouldve said we were going to win the game," Kings coach Michael Malone said. "They just keep at it for 48 minutes, and thats why I think that they are the favourite to win the NBA championship." The Spurs shook off a slow start and started rolling late in the second quarter, speeding up the pace and looking for those "great, not good" shots the way Popovich always preaches. San Antonio led 47-37 at intermission despite shooting 1 for 13 from 3-point range. The Spurs finished 5 for 25 from beyond the arc, while the Kings were 4 for 14. Tim Duncan also missed his first seven shots for San Antonio before banking in a jumper in the third quarter. He finished with 10 points on 3-for-12 shooting and added nine rebounds and six assists. "Its a great reminder that we can win with defence," said Parker, who also had five rebounds and four assists. "It was not pretty. We were not shooting well. But sometimes you need to win those kind of games. We know in the playoffs, sometimes the ball doesnt go in." The Kings kept the Spurs within striking distance, and appeared to move even closer when Thomas made a 3-pointer as the third quarter ended. Instead, officials ruled Thomas shot came after the buzzer — and upheld the call after a video review. Belinelli swished a jumper at the start of his big fourth quarter to lift the Spurs ahead 73-57. And Duncan quieted Sacramento for good with a jumper that gave San Antonio an 86-69 lead with 5:35 to play. "I dont think we moved the ball enough," Cousins said. "We came down and got quick shots. That kind of hurt us. If we moved the ball a lot better we wouldve had a chance at this game." NOTES: Kings F Royce White, the 16th overall pick in the 2012 draft by Houston, made his NBA debut. He entered with 56.1 seconds remaining and never touched the ball. ... Former Kings centre Vlade Divac sat courtside next to team owner Vivek Ranadive and received a standing ovation when he was introduced on the video board during a timeout in the first quarter. ... San Antonio closes a three-game California trip at Golden State on Saturday night in a rematch of last seasons second-round playoff series won by the Spurs in six games. ... The Kings host Milwaukee on Sunday. ___ Antonio Gonzalez can be reached at: www.twitter.com/agonzalezAP http://www.hockeyavalancheshop.com/Burgundy-Red-Lanny-McDonald-Jersey/ . -- The postgame cheer from inside the New York Jets locker room could be heard in the stadium hallways. Nathan MacKinnon Avalanche Jersey . The announcement was made Tuesday. Auto racing returned to Detroit in 2012 following a four-year absence thanks in part to a three-year deal with Chevy.MINNEAPOLIS -- A federal judge in Minnesota gave final approval Friday to a $50 million settlement in the complicated court fight over publicity rights for retired NFL players, calling it a "one-of-a-kind, and a remarkable victory for the class as a whole." The NFL and the retired players reached the agreement in March, and U.S. District Judge Paul Magnuson gave preliminary approval in April. But 19 players had filed objections, with some saying direct payments wont be made to the former players and that varying benefits will be unfairly distributed. In his order Friday, Magnuson said those who objected because they were lured by the prospect of a lucrative personal payout have strayed from the initial goal of the lawsuit -- to help those players with dire physical, mental and financial needs. He said the majority of the class -- more than 25,000 players -- recognized the settlement would help thousands of former players because a large financial payout would go to a fund organized for their benefit. "Nearly all of the objections boil down to what is, in the courts view, the objectors very mistaken belief that they could reap significant financial benefits from continuing this case," Magnuson said. He said those who believe a settlement that doesnt directly benefit players is impermissible "are wrong." More than 2,000 players opted out of the settlement, and will have the opportunity to pursue their own claims against the NFL. Those cases will be allowed to immediately go forward. Bob Stein, an attorney for some of the plaintiffs who opposed the settlement, said he will appeal. He said there was no discovery that revealed the value of NFL Films, so theres no way to know if the settlement is fair. He also said the settlement doesnt provide direct payments to those who have given up publicity rights. Dan Gustafson, an attorney representing those who agreed to the settlement, said hes pleased with the judges ruling and hopes those opposed will "put this behind them now and join us in trying to implement the settlement for the benefit of the players." Under the agreement, some $42 million will be distributed to a "common good" trust over eight years to help retired players with issues like medical expenses, housing and career transition. The settlement will alsso establish a licensing agency for retirees to ensure compensation for the use of their identities.http://www.hockeyavalancheshop.com/Burgundy-Red-Erik-Johnson-Jersey/. The league will pay another $8 million in associated costs, including startup money for the licensing agency. The trust will be administered by a group of retired players approved by the court. The licensing agency will for the first time market retiree publicity rights in conjunction with the NFL, thereby making it easier for retired players to work with potential sponsors and advertisers. The settlement only covers those players who are currently retired, but players who retire in the future will have the chance to utilize the newly formed licensing agency. Magnuson wrote that while the objections were "especially vociferous," only one-tenth of 1 per cent of the class objected and less than 10 per cent requested to opt out. He said the objections were without merit. "This fund will provide substantial benefits to the class as a whole," the judge wrote. The lawsuit was filed in 2009, with NFL Hall of Famer Elvin Bethea, Fred Dryer, Dan Pastorini, Joe Senser, Ed White and Jim Marshall accusing the NFL of exploiting retired players identities in films, highlight reels and memorabilia to market the leagues "glory days" without compensating the players. That same year, a group of more than 2,000 retirees won a $26.25 million settlement with the NFL Players Association over the use of their likenesses in video games, trading cards and other sports products. Pastorini, Marshall, and Senser ended up objecting to the settlement and will be part of an appeal. The other three original plaintiffs opted out and will be included in other litigation, Stein said. Gordon Rudd, another attorney for the plaintiffs in favour of the settlement, said the settlement gives retired players a chance to monetize the value of their images through the licensing agency. "It is a historic settlement," he said. "Its very creative and its very exciting to see this opportunity being provided to retired players for the first time." The lawsuit against the league was similar to a still-pending lawsuit filed against the NCAA by Ed OBannon and other former college athletes seeking damages for the use of former players likenesses in video games and other material. ' ' '
The Wall