DALLAS: The hometown kid ensured that San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich would get a milestone victory in Dallas.
LaMarcus Aldridge scored a season-high 32 points in his hometown and the Spurs beat the Mavericks 97-91 on Tuesday night.
Popovich became the fastest NBA coach to 500 road wins. He got there in 835 away games, 41 fewer than Pat Riley. Those two and Don Nelson are the only coaches to win 500 on the road.
Aldridge, a product of Dallas’ Seagoville High School, scored eight points during a decisive stretch of the fourth quarter. He’s averaging nearly 23 points per game this season while San Antonio has been without starters Kawhi Leonard and Tony Parker.
“I think I’m definitely more confident and I’m playing my game more this year,” Aldridge said. “I think Pop definitely has tweaked some things where I can be myself more out there and play more confident, and it’s working out for us.”
Aldridge’s coach notices the change in the forward’s second year in San Antonio.
“He’s been our most consistent player,” Popovich said. “His effort level every night has been off the charts. He’s been a leader for us, helping the younger guys and new guys understand the system.”
Patty Mills added a season-high 19 points for the Spurs.
Rookie Dennis Smith Jr. led Dallas with a career-high 27 points, and J.J. Barea and Harrison Barnes had 16 each. The Mavericks are 2-13 for the second straight season and fifth time overall.
Just like in a loss to Cleveland on Saturday, the Mavericks cut a double-digit second-half deficit to one point, but couldn’t gain the lead.
“Every time we made a mental lapse, they got going,” Barnes said. “We know that is what they are going to do here and capitalize every time we made a mistake.”
After Dallas got within 62-61 early in the fourth, Mills hit a long 3 and a driving layup, then Aldridge scored eight of his team’s next 13 points to put the Spurs up 82-71 with 5:03 to play. Dallas never got closer than four points down the stretch.
The Spurs led by 11 during the third quarter, but Barea made back-to-back 3s and fed Salah Mejri an alley-oop pass for a layup as Dallas closed the quarter on a 9-0 run to get within 62-60.
Mills scored 13 points in the first six minutes of the second quarter, including three 3s. Aldridge was hit with a technical foul with 3:33 left in the second quarter for shoving the Mavericks’ Salah Mejri after a scrap under the Mavericks basket.
The Spurs led 44-39 at the break.
TIP-INS
Spurs: Popovich was asked before the game how he handles the rush of letters and emails responding to his political comments: “I do read everything and I try to respond. It takes time because there’s a lot of letters. The only ones I don’t respond to are the ones are so courageous in their negativity that there’s no address, just comments. That’s hard to respond to. But there are people who disagree and say why, and it’s erudite and intelligible and (I say), ‘Yeah, you’ve got a point.’ Those people deserve to be responded to.”
Mavericks: Dallas continues to play without guard Devin Harris, who missed his second straight game with bruised ribs, and Dorian Finney-Smith was also out Tuesday with left quad tendinitis.
Aldridge has 32 points, Popovich gets milestone in Spurs win
Aldridge has 32 points, Popovich gets milestone in Spurs win
Man United’s Jim Ratcliffe reminded of his responsibilities but no FA charge for ‘colonized’ claim
- Football Association will not be charging Ratcliffe over his comments
- Ratcliffe’s comments touched a nerve in Britain, where immigration is a divisive issue
MANCHESTER: Manchester United co-owner Jim Ratcliffe has been reminded of his “responsibilities as a participant in English football” after he triggered a storm of criticism for claiming Britain had been “colonized” by immigrants.
But England’s Football Association will not be charging Ratcliffe over his comments, which were widely condemned by political figures, including British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, and the club’s supporters.
The governing body issued Ratcliffe with a reminder of his responsibilities when taking part in media interviews, a person with knowledge of the situation told The Associated Press on Friday. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak publicly.
British billionaire Ratcliffe, who owns petrochemicals giant INEOS, made the comments during an interview with Sky News, which aired last week.
“You can’t have an economy with 9 million people on benefits and huge levels of immigrants coming in,” he said. “I mean, the UK’s been colonized.”
Ratcliffe’s comments touched a nerve in Britain, where immigration is a divisive issue. He later said he was sorry his choice of language had “offended some people.”
Starmer had earlier called for him to apologize, saying “Britain is a proud, tolerant and diverse country.”
United fans, who are proud of the diversity within the team and their supporter base, also condemned his words.
The Manchester United Supporters Trust said the “senior leadership should make inclusion easier, not harder.”
Critics accused Ratcliffe of “hypocrisy,” saying he has chosen to make his home in Monaco to reduce his UK tax bill.
Carrick proud of Man United’s culture
United’s head coach, Michael Carrick, said earlier Friday that the Premier League club was proud of their culture of equality and diversity.
Carrick, who was recently hired as coach until the end of the season, faced the media for the first time since Ratcliffe’s remarks and he was asked for his response.
“Sir Jim has made a statement, and then the club’s made a statement on the back of it so for me to add to that is not my place,” he said. “What I can say is, as I’ve been around this club many, many years, we always make a huge impact globally.
“We’re really proud of the environment and the culture that we’ve got at the club, and equality and diversity and respect for each other is something that we look to carry through every day.”
