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BOSTON -- Charlotte Hornets coach Steve Clifford was impressed with what he saw from the San Antonio Spurs -- sans the retired Tim Duncan -- on Wednesday night in North Carolina.They have a guy who is an MVP candidate (Kawhi Leonard), Pau Gasol and Tony Parker who are probably Hall of Famers, (LaMarcus) Aldridge, who is a perennial All-Star and Danny Green who has been a starter on two championship teams, Clifford said after losing to the Spurs 119-114. Plus they have a guy (Gregg Popovich) who is maybe the best coach of our time -- except for all that theyre just OK.The Spurs, 8-0 on the road, 12-3 overall and winners of seven straight overall, visit the Boston Celtics in a Friday matinee that should cause people to interrupt looking for shopping bargains to watch.San Antonio comes to Boston having beaten the Celtics nine straight times since Boston swept the two-game 2010-11 season series.The Celtics are coming off a perfect 3-0 road trip, capped by Wednesday nights wire-to-wire win over the Nets in Brooklyn.For us to win three games in a row on the road and one of the games being a back-to-back, is big for us, Bostons Avery Bradley said Wednesday. I think it does a lot for our team, our confidence level.And not only that, but this might be our fourth game playing together as a team or fifth game with everybody, so Im happy with how were growing together every single game. Al (Horford)s playing well, Jae (Crowder)s playing well, everybodys just playing basketball.Both Horford (concussion) and Crowder (ankle) rejoined the team on this trip. And while defeating Detroit, Minnesota and Brooklyn on the road is hardly a reason to make plans for the NBA Finals, three road wins is three road wins -- and the Celtics are 9-6 coming into this game.Leonard is truly playing like an MVP for the Spurs. He scored 30 at Charlotte and is averaging 25.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game this season. His time has come.The Spurs opened their current three-game trip with what Popovich called a pathetic 96-91 over the undermanned Mavericks in Dallas before winning at Charlotte. The trip ends Friday in Boston.The Celtics, having an early holiday feast, waltzed all over the woeful Nets Wednesday night. They built an early 17-point lead, blew and then recovered to cruise.I think we played very well, Marcus Smart said. We came out really aggressive. We closed out well. That little hiccup we had, but other than that everything else was great.Having their entire roster on the floor, and having the players finally get to grow together, makes the picture brighter for Brad Stevens team.There is more experience, more depth, more comfort to this team, Smart said. Everybody is ready to play now. Everybody is healthy. Like I said, everybody is clicking again.Now, if the Celtics can just figure out a way to end that long streak against the Spurs, perennial contenders in the NBA playoff picture ... the model franchise of the NBA, with or without the great Duncan. Cesc Fabregas Jersey . Blackwood, 28, has played the last three seasons in the San Diego Padres system, including the past two summers with Class AA San Antonio of the Texas League. Marcin Bulka Chelsea Jersey . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. http://www.chelseasoccerjerseysonline.com/womens-willian-chelsea-jersey/ . -- Tony Stewart is 20 pounds lighter and has a titanium rod in his surgically repaired right leg. NGolo Kante Jersey . Francis told several hundred members of the European Olympic Committees that when sport "is considered only in economic terms and consequently for victory at every cost . Danny Drinkwater Chelsea Jersey . LUCIE, Fla. NAPLES, Fla. -- Steve Stricker returned from a long layoff to team with Jerry Kelly to take the first-round lead in the Franklin Templeton Shootout.The Madison, Wisconsin, duo shot a 16-under 56 on Thursday in the scramble format for a one-stroke lead over Harris English and Matt Kuchar at Tiburon Golf Club.It was just a great team effort today, Stricker said. We both played well. We both kept the pedal down all the way around, we never let up. We made a lot of good birdies, threw in an improbable eagle at the sixth hole, but other than that it was just good, solid golf all the way around, all the way to the end. Usually we have little hiccups here and there or a little lull period and today that never happened. We just continued that good play every hole really.On the eagle, Stricker holed a breaking 60-footer on the par-5 sixth.The pin was in a very difficult position kind of on the left side of the green, Stricker said. It was kind of up and over and speed was tricky. He put a good putt on it, on the first one. It was difficult, it had a lot of break. But speed was the issue and he gave me great speed and the line because I ended up givinng it a little bit more.ddddddddddddThe 49-year-old Stricker had not played since the Deutsche Bank Championship on Labor Day. Hes teaming with the 50-year-old Kelly for the record eighth time. They won in 2009, and Kelly also won with Rod Pampling in 2006.We know everybodys going to get in the fairway and get on the green in this format, so its really rolling in the putts, Kelly said. I just need to do my job and hit solid putts, so he can see where the line is and make it like he does.Harris and Kuchar won in 2013 in their first start together and finished second the last two years.Charles Howell III & Rory Sabbatini were third at 59, and defending champions Jason Dufner and Brandt Snedeker were at 60 with Kevin Chappell-Kevin Kisner and Luke Donald-Russell Knox.Lexi Thompson and Bryson DeChambeau were eighth after a 62. Thompson is the second woman to compete in the event, following Annika Sorenstam with Fred Couples in 2006.The teams will play modified alternate shot Friday and close with better ball Saturday. ' ' '