f we split the strategies it will be to win, and because we simp

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- After struggling in the first few weeks of the season to find their patented offensive rhythm, the San Antonio Spurs are once again making it miserable for opposing teams.Pau Gasol had 24 points and nine rebounds to lead a balanced offense for the Spurs in a 110-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night.LaMarcus Aldridge scored 21 points and Kawhi Leonard added 20 for the Spurs, who won their fourth straight and improved to 6-0 on the road this season. Tony Parker had 14 points and seven rebounds.We didnt have that level of awareness and we werent moving the ball as much as we should have been early in the season, Gasol said. Were at our best when were moving the ball, creating an energy and flow that carries over to the defensive end. Thats been the staple of this team for so long.Sharing the basketball and frequently finding the open man for a good look, the Spurs had a season-high 29 assists and shot 49 percent. San Antonio has recorded 20 or more assists during its winning streak.Perhaps its no coincidence the winning streak has taken place after Parker returned from a sore right knee that caused the veteran point guard to miss three straight games. He was directing the offense against the Kings and frequently finding an open teammate.The key for us is moving the ball and making sure everyone is involved offensively, Parker said. The last four games were really been finding our rhythm. We have a lot of weapons.An offseason free-agent signing, Gasol is definitely one of those options. The crafty veteran center scored nine points in the opening quarter and had 16 by halftime, helping the Spurs take a 57-46 lead at the break.Its not something I try to do, I just take the shots when they come to me, said Gasol, who shot 10 for 17. Teammates found me early tonight and I was able to be effective.DeMarcus Cousins had 26 points, 17 rebounds and six assists for the Kings, who dropped their third straight game. Matt Barnes had 15 points and Ben McLemore, Willie Cauley-Stein and Rudy Gay each added 11.Were making it hard on ourselves right now, Cousins said. We gotta come out with better energy and a better effort. Its on us if we want to turn this around. Its nobodys fault but ours.Guarded much of the game by Leonard, Gay shot just 3 for 11 after entering the game averaging 22.3 points.The Spurs took the lead for good in the second quarter and led by as many as 18 points before going to the reserves late in the fourth quarter.The Kings eventually cut the lead to four points on Cousins two free throws with 8.7 seconds remaining. However, Davis Bertans made a free throw and the Kings missed two shots to end the game.TIP INSSpurs: Danny Green was back in the starting lineup despite a groin injury Monday against Miami. He made three 3-pointers and had nine points... Reserve center Dewayne Dedmon sprained his left knee and will also miss Fridays game.Kings: Cousins picked up two fouls in the games first four minutes. ... Lawson came in shooting 4 for 25 the previous five games. He was 1 for 2 for three points against the Spurs. ... The Kings had 17 turnovers that resulted in 16 Spurs points.POPOVICH STILL ANGERED BY ELECTIONSpurs coach Gregg Popovich has been an outspoken critic of President-elect Donald Trump. He has spoken openly about his feelings on the election and held nothing back again in a pregame interview.Somebody asked me and I told the truth of what I felt. I still feel the same way, Popovich said. Its still a disorienting situation when you thought you lived in a certain kind of country with certain values and find out those values arent important to half the country.I thought with all the divisiveness in the election, all the groups that President-elect Trump disparaged the best way to start was not to worry about Obamacare or talk about Wall Street or anything else. But that didnt happen. That was my hope.UP NEXTSpurs: At the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night.Kings: Host the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. Jrue Holiday Pelicans Jersey . Following a lopsided 5-2 loss against the New Jersey Devils on Wednesday night, Paul MacLean told reporters that "theres a lack of focus, theres a lack of leadership and theres a lack of preparation" with his struggling team. That came on the heels of Bryan Murray taking the unusual step of going into the locker room at the Prudential Center and addressing the players himself. Anthony Davis Jersey . But what about the officials? Every sport has officials and they also have stories about hard work and sacrifice but their accomplishments are seldom recognized by anyone outside their inner circle. http://www.shoppelicansonline.com/Authentic-ETwaun-Moore-Pelicans-Jersey/ . Rousey will put her perfect 8-0 record and hardware on the line against another undefeated fighter, 7-0 Sara McMann in the main event of UFC 170, which will be held at the Mandalay Bay Events Center in Las Vegas Nevada on February 22nd. Jrue Holiday Jersey . The Redskins announced Monday that the quarterback who led the team to the Super Bowl championship in the 1987 season will serve as a personnel executive. Custom New Orleans Pelicans Jerseys . While hell be dialed in to that tournament on a course he loves, you can forgive him if his eyes glance down the calendar just a bit, towards April. MEXICO CITY, Mexico -- Toto Wolff says Mercedes has a responsibility not to let team strategy calls influence the title battle between Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg as the team chases victory at Sundays Mexican Grand Prix.The two Mercedes drivers will start on the front row of the grid on soft tyres but are likely to come under attack from the Red Bulls of Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo, which are both starting on the faster super-soft tyre and have showed impressive pace this weekend. Hamilton and Rosberg are likely to attempt one-stop strategies based on their decision to start on softs, while Verstappen and Ricciardo could go for an aggressive two-stop to put pressure on the two title protagonists.Wolff admitted the Mercedes pit wall could face a tough balance between wanting to beat Red Bull on Sunday and providing Hamilton and Rosberg an even strategic playing field to do battle on.Yes we have quite a big responsibility towards the two, he said. We want to win the race but sending them on two different strategies and not knowing which one is the right one can potentially have an outcome which needs an explanation.Weve had this in the past years that we will ask questions why did you send Driver BB on that strategy but it was clear that was the better one.dddddddddddd If we split the strategies it will be to win, and because we simply dont want to know which one is the better one. So to answer your question, there is responsibility and weight on our shoulders in trying to get it right and as balanced as possible.Despite the tyres performing in an unpredictable manner so far this weekend, Wolff has confidence in Mercedes strategists, who have rarely made a mistake this year.Weve seen situations where weve not been completely clear which tyre is going to last, how graining or blistering is going to happen and when and how much the tyres need management to take them further.We have had that all through the season and the same is tomorrow, the track temperatures have a big influence on the performance and behaviour of the tyre so that is pretty much one of the major variables of the race which you need to get right. It includes a lot of data, algorithms and common sense. Weve been ok so far with getting it right often, but there is no guarantee that it will be like this ever. ' ' '