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LOS ANGELES -- Gregg Popovich emerged from his first look at the revamped Los Angeles Lakers with enormous respect for the work of fellow coach Luke Walton.Popovichs veteran San Antonio Spurs also showed Waltons Lakers just how far theyve still got to go.LaMarcus Aldridge scored 23 points and Kawhi Leonard added 23 points and 12 rebounds in the Spurs fifth straight victory Friday night, 116-107 over the Lakers.Tony Parker had 16 points and seven assists for the Spurs, who improved to 7-0 on the road this season. Theyve won six straight over the Lakers, but this back-and-forth victory bore little resemblance to San Antonios regular demolitions of the Lakers over the previous few seasons.Luke has done a great job of making them believe and playing aggressively, and you can really see it, said Popovich, who earned his 1,099th win to pass Larry Brown for seventh place on the NBAs career list. They came back and stuck it to us. ... We got after it and executed better, but I am just so impressed with what (Walton) has done with this group.Pau Gasol scored 16 points in his first trip to Staples Center with the Spurs, who went 18 for 19 at the free throw line to hang on after the Lakers rallied late. Parker hit a clinching 17-foot jumper with 33.6 seconds left.Theyre talented, Parker said of the Lakers. They play hard for Luke. They play with great energy, and they have a lot of pieces. Now its all about chemistry and how theyre going to gel.Lou Williams scored 24 points and Nick Young added 20 for the Lakers, who played without injured leading scorer DAngelo Russell for the first time this season. Los Angeles still kept it close until the final minutes, when Aldridge and Leonard took turns hitting big shots before Parkers big bucket.We cooled off a little bit (in the third quarter), and they just continued to go, which is what they do, Walton said. The important thing to take away is how we come back from this, how we respond.BENCH CHARGEJordan Clarkson scored 16 of his 20 points in the second half while the Lakers rallied. Williams also came off the bench in another enormous game by the teams reserves, who lead the league in bench points per game. Theyll need all that depth: The Lakers began a stretch of 18 games in 30 days with only their third loss in nine games.BIG RALLYThe Spurs blew an early 13-point lead, but took control in the third quarter while making 11 consecutive shots. San Antonio stretched its lead to 91-76 while scoring 39 points in the third quarter on 14-for-19 shooting, but the Lakers chipped it down to four points before succumbing.Last year, we would have been out of this game if we were down by that much, Clarkson said. Were out here to compete every night now. Were not OK with any loss.D-LO OUTRussell has a sore left knee, and the Lakers elected to rest their point guard out of caution. He wont practice Saturday, either. Walton doesnt expect the injury to be a long-term problem, although the Lakers brutal schedule over the next month wont help. The second-year pro leads the Lakers balanced lineup with 16.8 points and 4.7 assists per game.Jose Calderon started in Russells place, scoring five points while playing only 14 minutes.TIP-INSSpurs: Gasol got another warm ovation in Los Angeles, where he won two NBA championships as Kobe Bryants right-hand man in 2009 and 2010. The 7-foot Spaniard was booed late in his Lakers career, but has been welcomed back enthusiastically since his departure as a free agent to Chicago. ... Former USC big man Dewayne Dedmon has a sprained left knee and didnt make the trip with San Antonio.Lakers: Los Angeles recalled center Ivica Zubac from its D-League affiliate, but the rookie didnt dress for this game. ... Lakers rookie Brandon Ingram had a rough night. The No. 2 pick missed his first seven shots before finishing with four points on 1-of-9 shooting.UP NEXTSpurs: A weekend off and a visit from rival Dallas on Monday.Lakers: The homestand continues with a visit from Dwyane Wade and the Chicago Bulls on Sunday night. Discount Nike NFL Jerseys . The CFLs leading rusher kept adding to his gaudy numbers this season and scored the winning touchdown with just over two minutes to play. The New Westminster, B.C., native plowed three yards into the end zone for the last score of a heated, see-saw battle between the two teams with the best records in the CFL. China NFL Jerseys . -- Its been a long road back for Sean Bergenheim. http://www.jerseyswholesalenfl.net/ .com) - Richie Incognito has reportedly been admitted to a psychiatric care unit in Arizona. Wholesale NFL Jerseys China . -- The Bishops Gaiters are showing they belong among the countrys top varsity football teams. Wholesale NFL Jerseys Fast Shipping . The 26-year-old Ireland striker, who has four goals this season, has signed a three-and-a-half year contract with his new club. The National Womens Hockey League is slashing its player salaries in half in a drastic cost-cutting measure thats regarded as one of the second-year leagues only chances to continue operating this season.The players have been informed in the interest of keeping the league financially viable that we have to enact salary cuts effective immediately, NWHL Commissioner Dani Rylan said during a conference call with reporters Friday.We fell short on some projections and we had to pivot and make a business decision at the end of the day, she said. And the decision was, if we want to exist and we want to save the season, we have to make the appropriate decisions to do so.Without specifying the amount of the cuts, Rylan went public with her announcement a day after she informed team executives and players.A person with direct knowledge of the decision told The Associated Press that player salaries were cut by 50 percent, which represents as much as $540,000 in savings. The person spoke on the condition of anonymity because Rylan declined to disclose any figures.Rylan did say the cuts do not apply to league employees and team employees who are not players.She said team executives will have added responsibilities in an effort to increase ticket sales and attract sponsors. The four-team league has franchises in Boston; New York; Stamford, Connecticut; and Buffalo, New York.Rylan also announced Dunkin Donuts, the NWHLs largest corporate sponsor, is committing an additional $50,000 investment in money that will go directly to paying players.She blamed part of the cash-flow crunch on declining attendance a month into the season.Last year, the NWHL became North Americas first womens hockey league to pay player salaries, which range from $10,000 to $26,000.The cuts represent a major setback for an upstart league Rylan established in what was essentially a startup venture supported by investors and corporate sponsors.Midway through last season, Rylan was so confident the NWHL model would be a success that she entertained questions of expansion.Now, there are questions as to whether the league will be around for a third season.I think we can agree after yesterdays news it would be pretty foolish of me to guarantee anything, Rylan said. But we have every hope andd expectation that the league will be around for many years to come.ddddddddddddNew York Riveters defenseman Ashley Johnston said players were shocked upon being informed of the need for pay cuts.When I first heard the news, I think probably gut-wrenching is the best way to describe it, Johnston said. Its kind of going through the different stages of mourning. Youre sad, youre frustrated, all the things that youd expect.Though a setback, she doesnt foresee players choosing to opt out of their contracts.The easy thing right now would be for everyone to pack up their bags and go home, Johnston said. But Im never one to really think that the easy thing is the right thing to do. Its just going to be figuring out our next steps and where we go as a team, as a league and as a family from here.NWHL players options are also very limited when it comes to continuing to play after college.The Canadian Womens Hockey League is a month into its 10th season and the rosters of its five teams -- including one in Boston -- are mostly set.CWHL players also arent paid salaries but instead earn prize money for winning the regular season and playoff titles. The league has announced plans to begin paying players some sort of a stipend as early as next season.Though many in hockey circles -- including Calgary Flames President Brian Burke -- have lobbied for the two leagues to merge, Rylan has been cool to the proposal in part because the two operate on different business models.On Thursday, Rylan said she has had amicable talks with CWHL officials, but added she has nothing new to report on any merger plans.Rylan said she did not reach her decision to cut salaries lightly.It came after trying everything we could from a business perspective to avoid it, Rylan said. Yes, this is a setback. But sometimes you have to take a step back to move forward. And thats what were learning here.---This story has been corrected following a new estimate from a person with direct knowledge of the decision to reflect that the savings are expected to be $540,000, not $440,000, and corrects the spelling of Riveters defensemans name to Johnston, not Johnson. 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