Bayern Trupp » San Antonio

CHICAGO -- It didnt take long for the San Antonio Spurs to show the Chicago Bulls why theyre leading the NBA. Manu Ginobili scored 22 points and Tony Parker had 20 points and nine assists, and the Spurs beat the Bulls 104-96 Tuesday night for their seventh straight win and 10th in their last 11. San Antonio jumped out to a big advantage early, taking a 38-14 lead after one quarter and going up 61-33 into halftime. That helped them improve to 24-6 on the road, the NBAs best mark away from home. Kawhi Leonard added 16 and nine rebounds for the Spurs (47-16), who maintained their hold on the NBAs best record. With the win they stayed a half-game ahead of Oklahoma City and Indiana, who both won. "Wonderful game, we were very sharp," Ginobili said. "We made a lot of shots in the beginning, which gave us a lead that ... its easier to play like that." Parker had 18 at halftime and went 8 for 15 from the field for a team that made 51 per cent overall against one of the NBAs best defensive clubs. Ginobili was 9 of 11. Also the leagues top 3-point shooting team at 39.2 per cent, San Antonio made 12 of 21 from behind the arc, including four from Ginobili. That and the big first half added up to another win for the Spurs, who are 14-3 since a 96-86 loss to Chicago on Jan. 29 and can improve on that Wednesday at home against Portland. The Spurs roster is finally healthy, something coach Gregg Popovich noted. "We seem like were playing pretty consistently now," Popovich said. "I dont think were going to win every game down the stretch." The Bulls, meanwhile, were coming off a dramatic 95-88 win Sunday over the Heat but couldnt build off that victory, falling to 1-2 on a season-high six-game homestand that also has games with the Rockets, Kings and Thunder. Coach Tom Thibodeau blamed himself for the slow start. "I told them, thats completely on me. My job is to have them ready. We had no edge to us," Thibodeau said. "Thats a championship-calibre team thats playing on all cylinders and theyre going after it, so if you dont match that intensity to start, you are going to get in a big hole. "So I didnt prepare them the way they needed to be prepared for that, so thats on me." D.J. Augustin led the Bulls with 24 points and Jimmy Butler had 23. Joakim Noah, whose name has started to be mentioned in MVP discussions, had 13 and eight rebounds. That all was a far cry from Sunday, when the Bulls held Miami to 40.5 per cent shooting and overcame a 42.2 per cent shooting game of their own. That didnt happen Tuesday for the Bulls, who were 43 per cent from the field. "Its on us," Butler said. "Were the ones out there playing, so we have to bring it each and every night. Thibs can only do so much. You learn from it." The Bulls saw early how costly a slow start can be, only pulling to within eight late in the fourth quarter. Ginobilis reverse layup with a second left in the period gave San Antonio a 38-14 lead after the first. The Spurs ended the half leading by 28 and hitting 61 per cent from the field, looking like a team peaking. Ginobili, however, hopes they arent doing that too early. "Its not the right time yet. Still 20 games to go," Ginobili said. NOTES: Spurs guard and former Bull Marco Belinelli scored 10 points and got a warm reception when he checked in for the first time with 10.1 seconds left in the first quarter. ... Spurs coach Gregg Popovich noted Belinellis contributions and jokingly said hes "a great source for Italian restaurants around the league." ... Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau is not surprised fatigue hasnt hit his team yet, despite its lack of depth. "Whatever it is that youre facing, youve got to be ready to accept that challenge and be ready to play," he said. ... Because of the injuries the Spurs have suffered this season, Popovich was asked if this season has been his best coaching job. "Havent they all been brilliant?" he said. "I got no clue. My 2-22 season in Pomona was my best." ... Popovich said Noahs personality is "the opposite" of Duncan in terms of showing emotion, but praised the Bulls centres emotional fire. Brook Lopez Jersey . Instead, Nonis and Kessel were sorting through the fallout of a wild melee with the Buffalo Sabres, one that saw Kessel suspended for the duration of the pre-season. Kareem Abdul-Jabbar Jersey . The Raptors have been outscored 88-66 in the opening quarter over a three-game span to begin the month of February. Their most recent loss, 109-101 in Sacramento on Wednesday, was eerily similar to Saturdays defeat at the hands of the Trail Blazers. http://www.nbabucksproshop.com/Authentic...n-Bucks-Jersey/. Lexie Lou earned a commanding 4 1/2-length win Sunday in the $500,000 Woodbine Oaks. Eric Bledsoe Jersey . After losing Brett Cecil to groin tightness on Friday, the Blue Jays watched as R. Brook Lopez Bucks Jersey . He reps the 4-1-6The insecurity of Canadian basketball fans is not what it once was with the home grown talent making its way to the big leagues, but it is still nice to see the local kids remembering where they come from once they make their way south.In case you want to watch that again, heres a GIFAnd another one at full speed ' ' '