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BOSTON -- The trade that brought Kawhi Leonard to San Antonio was already a success for the Spurs, even before throw-in Davis Bertans began contributing.The Latvian rookie set a career high in scoring for the second straight game, pitching in 15 of the Spurs 56 bench points on Friday to help San Antonio beat the Boston Celtics 109-103 for their eighth straight victory.Our first group was still in bed, Spurs coach Greg Popovich said after watching his team fall behind 14 points in the first quarter in the matinee start. Thats why I took them off the court. It was hard to watch.Leonard had 25 points and 10 rebounds for San Antonio, but thats not surprising from an All-Star who was second in NBA MVP voting last season. Less expected was the contribution from Bertans, who was selected 27 picks later in the 2011 draft and then dealt to San Antonio with Leonard in the trade that sent George Hill to Indiana.Bertans was amazing, Popovich said. Kawhi is Kawhi, but we start to take him for granted. I think overall the bench was the key.Patty Mills scored 19 off the bench, sinking a 3-pointer with 45 seconds left after the Celtics made it a one-possession game. David Lee had 15 points and 12 rebounds as the Spurs reserves outscored their starters 56-53.The Spurs fell behind by 14 points in the first quarter but scored 12 in a row -- seven from Leonard -- in the second to get back in the game and improve to 9-0 on the road this season.You know what youre getting from Kawhi, and he played great, Celtics coach Brad Stevens said. But I thought those guys really changed the complexion of the game.Isaiah Thomas finished with 24 points with eight assists and Avery Bradley had 19 points and eight rebounds for the Celtics. Al Horford had 12 points and 10 rebounds in his second home game since signing a four-year, $113-million contract with Boston this summer.Jae Crowder scored 10 of his 18 points in the first quarter. The Celtics had won three in a row, but they lost to San Antonio for the 10th straight time.Home, road, 20 years, whatever its been: they finish, Stevens said.LOOKING BACKA 6-foot-10 forward, Bertans spent much of the last five years playing in Europe and recovering from ACL injuries. He signed with San Antonio this summer and has played in 13 of 16 games so far this season.Leonard, who was the No. 15 overall pick by the Pacers in the 2011 draft, said he had no memory of Bertans name from that night.I was just thinking of myself, he said.RUNSBoston used an 18-2 run to turn a two-point deficit into a 24-10 lead. But the Spurs were just as impressive in the second, when they scored 12 straight points to make it a one-point game.We gave up the whole first quarter, and after that we knuckled down and played pretty good, Popovich said. And the starters came back in and played better after that too.The Celtics led 74-69 with 25 seconds left in the third quarter before Bertans hit a 3-pointer and Mills made a 34-foot 3-pointer just before the buzzer to give the Spurs the lead. Bertans also hit a 3 to start the fourth.TIP-INSSpurs: Improved to 5-0 vs. Eastern Conference teams. ... Bertans, who set his career-high with 11 against Charlotte on Wednesday, broke it in the first three quarters against Boston. ... Tyler Zeller and Danny Green were teammates on the North Carolina team that won the 2009 NCAA title.Celtics: Horford, the Celtics biggest free-agent acquisition of the summer, played just his second home game this season -- his first since the opener. He missed nine games with a concussion and returned for the last three games -- all on the road. ... Crowder scored his 2,500th career point.UP NEXTSpurs: Visit the Wizards on Saturday to end a three-game road trip.Celtics: Visit the Heat on Monday night. Boston swept the 2015-16 series 3-0 against Miami. The Heat are 4-10 and could be headed for a second year without a playoff appearance in three seasons since LeBron James returned to Cleveland. Wholesale NCAA Jerseys Authentic .S. Open champion Justin Rose birdied the first hole with a blind shot he hit to a foot of the pin, and he stayed in front Tuesday until he completed a 4-under 67 for a two-shot lead over Jason Dufner in PGA Grand Slam of Golf. Cheap NCAA Jerseys From China .ca! Hi Kerry, Heres an interesting one. I know its common knowledge that all players are responsible for their sticks. We witnessed that when Zack Kassian hit Edmontons Sam Gagner in the face after a missed check. http://www.cheapncaajerseys.net/ . -- The Sacramento Kings are set to become the first major professional sports franchise to accept Bitcoin virtual currency for ticket and merchandise purchases. NCAA Jerseys Free Shipping . -- The proud fathers huddled near the Dallas Stars dressing room, smiling, laughing and telling stories while wearing replica green sweaters of their sons team. Cheap Basketball NCAA Jerseys . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. SYRACUSE, N.Y. -- Last year ended on a happy note for Syracuse coach Jim Boeheim -- a trip to the Final Four for the fifth time in his Hall of Fame career. This season? An encore performance is on the mind.Im looking forward to winning a lot, senior forward Tyler Roberson said. We want to get back to the tournament and win the national championship. Thats the main goal. I know we cant ask for much more (than making the Final Four), but we went really far and we are bringing that energy into this season.Until Syracuse was selected to play in the NCAA Tournament in the spring, the 2015-16 season was forgettable. Boeheim served a nine-game suspension as part of sanctions handed down by the NCAA after a multiyear investigation of the schools athletic department, and the Orange were a longshot to make the field after going 19-14 in the regular season and a pedestrian 9-9 in the Atlantic Coast Conference.Four wins in the big dance turned the season into a rousing success, and the sky seems to be the limit this year despite the departure of the top three scorers -- guards Michael Gbinije, Trevor Cooney, and Malachi Richardson, who left for the NBA after a stellar freshman season.The short bench that hurt last years team likely wont be a factor this season. Syracuse has a solid mix of talented returnees including Roberson, center Dajuan Coleman, projected first-round NBA pick Tyler Lydon, and guard Frank Howard. The Orange also welcome a highly ranked recruiting class of three in Matthew Moyer, Taurean Thompson and Tyus Battle, two fifth-year transfers in guard John Gillon (averaged 13.2 points and 3.8 assists at Colorado State) and sharpshooter Andrew White III (16.6 points and 5.9 rebounds at Nebraska), who are eligible to play immediately, and a traditional transfer, 7-foot-2 center Paschal Chukwu.We have never put five new guys in within one year that I can remember, Boeheim said. We have five new guys that actually will play a lot.Boeheim, soon to be 72, isnt about to change his philosophy as the end of his long career at his alma mater looms. In other words, no predictions.You never know about a team until you get in the game. It isnt until you have a couple of battles, said Boeheim, who is slated to retire after next season. There is always adversity in the game. It isnt always smooth sailing.Other things to know when Syracuse kicks off the season against upstate New York foe Colgate on Nov.dddddddddddd 11:TRANSFER CITY: Boeheim accepted only a handful of transfers in his first 40 years at his alma mater. Year No. 41 sort of represents a watershed moment with three.Transfers that weve taken have been very impactful to our program, Boeheim said. When youre down numbers and you have a fifth year, you help your team. If Malachi would have stayed, we probably wouldnt have taken any. Its here to stay now.ZONED OUT: Boeheim always seems to have lots of long arms in the lineup to enhance the effectiveness of his trademark zone defense, and this years team might be the longest ever with eight players 6-7 or taller. Chukwu promises to be a menacing force inside, and Coleman (6-9), Lydon (6-8), Roberson (6-8), White (6-7), along with incoming freshmen Matthew Moyer (6-8) and Taurean Thompson (6-10) figure to give opponents fits.3-BALLS GALORE: With a thin roster, Syracuse relied on its perimeter shooting last season, hoisting up 876 3-pointers and averaging 8.5 made 3s per game. The Orange has experience there with Lydon, who was the most accurate (49 of 121, 40.5 percent), and White (87 of 211, 41.2 percent).Its a part of the game now, Boeheim said. Every player that can make them can shoot them.PRESSING MATTERS: Syracuse uses the press at just about every practice and utilizes it sparingly but to great effect in games when needed. With such a deep roster, using it more often is an option.It came in handy last year. A couple of games we wouldnt have won without pressure, Boeheim said. We think well pressure more, but when we get into the season, if its not there, then we wont use it.MR. VERSATILE: Lydon emerged as a bona fide star last season as a freshman with his strong perimeter game and shot-blocking ability inside (team-high 67 blocks) while playing center and both forward positions. He added 20 pounds of muscle in the offseason, which promises to make him a more imposing figure all over the court.He was key last year, so hes certainly not going to be any less this year, Boeheim said. Hell be very important. Hes probably the only player Ive had that has ever done that well at three positions.---AP college basketball website: www.collegebasketball.ap.org---Follow Kekis on Twitter: www.twitter.com/Greek1947 ' ' '