Spam & Fun » sturday. He retired the first 12 hitters before allowin

SAN ANTONIO -- Annual traditions are everywhere in San Antonio. Theres the way the famed Riverwalk is transformed into a sea of lights at holiday time. Fiesta Noche del Rio, a summerlong outdoor performance of song and dance that dates back more than half a century. A huge rodeo, taking over the city for about three weeks every winter. And of late, theres been the Tim Duncan Watch. Unlike the others, this is one San Antonioians dread. But if he goes out now, hell be going out as a champion -- for the fifth time. San Antonios 104-87 win over the Miami Heat in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Sunday night gave Duncan his fifth title, all with the Spurs. And throughout this series, speculation has been rampant that if the Spurs ended Miamis reign Duncan might finally feel like the time is right to end what will surely be a Hall of Fame career. "Amazing," Duncan said. "It makes last year OK." His first title was in 1999. Only Kareem Abdul-Jabbar has a longer span between championships. "Its a very emotional time," Duncan said. When the 2011-12 season was threatened by a lockout, it was speculated that Duncan might have already played his last game. Hes certainly doesnt play for money anymore -- hes making about $10 million this season, a giant sum in the real world but well below market value by NBA standards -- and has always seemed to be a reluctant superstar. And then, every fall, Duncan shows up for training camp, the Spurs win a bunch of games, and the legacy just keeps growing. "I know hes got one more year on his contract, and he loves being with us, loves playing basketball," Spurs guard Tony Parker said. "Either way, whatever he decides, Ill support him. But if I have to choose, obviously, I would love him to keep going. I love playing with him." Its hard to find something in San Antonio more revered than the Spurs. "Go Spurs Go" signage hangs from what seems like every other building in the sprawling city. If someone is on the streets of San Antonio on game day and not wearing Spurs gear, chances are they live somewhere else. During the NBA Finals, its not uncommon for residents to strap Spurs flags onto their cars, drive through downtown and honk like crazy -- even on off days in the series. Duncan has never played for money anyplace else. Sunday was his 1,488th NBA game. Every one of them has been in a Spurs uniform. The only other players in NBA history to play that many games and never change teams: Utahs John Stockton and Indianas Reggie Miller. "He feels a responsibility to his teammates," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "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 when? Duncan insists he doesnt know. Its something he, Parker and Manu Ginobili -- the Spurs Big 3 -- have been hearing for years, that their demise and breakup is imminent. By now, they almost find it amusing. "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." Duncan is the 21st player in NBA history to win five rings with one team. Everyone else on that list played for the Lakers, Celtics or Bulls. That speaks to longevity and sustained greatness, which all factors in to the enormous legacy hell leave behind at some point. Again, though, thats not Duncans thinking. Not now. Not yet. First things first -- theres another parade coming to San Antonio. When the Spurs won the Western Conference title and earned their rematch shot with Miami, which won last years finals in a seven-game classic, Duncan vowed that San Antonio would win this time around. He was right. "This is the only one that counts right now," Duncan said. Nike Air VaporMax 2019 White-Metallic Gold . The Bruins forward has been fined $5,000 by the National Hockey League for spearing Red Wings defenceman Danny DeKeyser in the groin. Cheap Vapormax Flyknit China . Alfredo Simon lowered his ERA to 0.86, and the Reds beat the Chicago Cubs 4-1 Friday for their 16th win in their last 17 games at the Friendly Confines. http://www.clearancevapormax.com/off-white-x-nike-vapormax-black-white-clearance.html . The 28-year-old from Rochester, Alta., was selected by the Redblacks from the Saskatchewan Roughriders roster in the 2013 CFL Expansion Draft. Vapormax Flyknit Clearance . Both sides came closest to scoring in the first half, when Roma had a goal from Mattia Destro waved off for offside and Inters Rodrigo Palacio headed high. "A draw was a fair result. Neither squad had many chances," Roma midfielder Miralem Pjanic said. Discount Vapormax . PAUL, Minn.CLEVELAND -- Yordano Venturas dominating performance Friday night produced plenty of superaltives. "He was extraordinary," Kansas City manager Ned Yost said after the rookie right-hander pitched 8 1-3 stellar innings in the Royals 7-1 win over the Cleveland Indians. Ventura (6-7) blanked the Indians on four hits until Michael Brantley hit a leadoff homer in the ninth. He was pulled after Jason Kipnis one-out single. Ventura allowed six hits and struck out four in the longest outing of his career. Indians centre fielder Michael Bourn had one of the hits off Ventura, a double in the eighth. "Well he throws 100 (mph), first of all," Bourn said. "He has a good changeup and a good curveball. We had a couple chances but for the most part he was on tonight." Mike Moustakas, who hit a three-run homer in the sixth gave Kansas City a 5-0 lead, was also impressed with Ventura. "Hes got such electric stuff," Moustakas said. "Thats what hes capable of doing." Salvador Perez and Christian Colon, making his first major-league start, had three hits apiece while Lorenzo Cain snapped an 0 for 11 skid with an RBI single in the third and a run-scoring double in the fifth. The Royals, who are a major league-best 11-2 on the road since June 2, rode Ventura to their latest win away from home. He retired the first 10 hitters before Brantley singled with one out in the the fourth. Carlos Santanas single moved Brantley to third, but Kipnis bounced into a double play. Ventura entered the ninth with 103 pitches, making it an easy decision for Yost to let him start the inning. "I wanted to throw the complete game shutout, but I couldnt do it," Ventura said through teammate Bruce Chen, who translated for the pitcher, "I was getting ahead of the hitters early in the game. They made some really good plays behind me and that gave me a lot of energy." Ventura, who finished with 113 pitches, came within two outs of recording Kansas Citys first complete game of the season. "I wasnt going to take him past 120 pitches," Yost said. "After the home run it was like, OK the next guy who gets on thats it. He pitched very well." Josh Tomlin (5-6), coming off a one-hit, no-walk, 11-strikeout performance against Seattle, allowed five runs and 11 hits in 5 2-3 innings. Mousstakas homer to right on a 3-2 pitch broke the game open.ddddddddddddThe rally began on singles by Perez and Alcides Escobar. Colon, a late addtion to the lineup when second baseman Omar Infante was scratched with lower back tightness, was 3 for 4, including a triple in the second for his first major league hit. Colon added a double in the fifth and an RBI double in the ninth. "That was a lot of fun," he said. "I was taking my ground balls (in pregame activities) and was told I was going to play." Ventura has allowed three runs in 21 innings in three career starts against Cleveland. He held the Indians to one run in seven innings in a 4-1 win on June 11 in Kansas City. Ventura gave up two runs and seven hits in four innings Los Angeles Angels in his last start, an outing that was cut short by a four-hour rain delay. He had pitched seven innings in each of his previous three starts. The Royals, who are second in the AL Central, are 3-1 on a nine-game road trip and lead third-place Cleveland by four games. The Indians, who opened a 10-game homestand, have lost four straight at home after winning 11 of 12 at Progressive Field. Cleveland was swept by Detroit in a three-game series June 20-22. Tomlin turned in the best performance of his career against the Mariners last Saturday. He retired the first 12 hitters before allowing a leadoff single to Kyle Seager in the fifth, Seattles only baserunner. Tomlins gem marked the sixth time an Indians pitcher recorded 11 strikeouts with no walks in a shutout over the past 100 years. It was also only the third time since 2002 that a pitcher has recorded a one-hit shutout with at least 11 strikeouts and no walks. Kansas City left fielder Alex Gordon was hitless in four at-bats and is in a 2-for-36 slump. Indians shortstop Asdrubal Cabrera was 0 for 4 and is in a 4 for 35 skid. NOTES: The Indians announced the game as a sellout, their third of the season. ... Indians C Yan Gomes, a native of Brazil, wore his countrys soccer jersey during batting practice. He kept an eye on the scoreboard, which showed Brazils 2-1 win over Colombia in the World Cup. ... Raul Ibanez, signed by the Royals on Monday, started in right field. He made an awkward sliding catch on Gomes line drive in the fifth. ... Royals RHP Jeremy Guthrie (5-6) faces LHP T.J. House (0-2) on Saturday. ' ' '