MIAMI -- Over the last 10 seasons, only one NBA player has been part of more wins than LeBron James. His name is Tim Duncan. Their numbers over that decade are incredibly similar. Duncan has appeared in 622 regular-season and playoff victories, James has played in 621. Duncan is shooting 50.2 per cent from the field, James is shooting 50 per cent. Duncan has won two championships with San Antonio during this 10-season stretch, James has two with Miami. Plus, when facing each other in the NBA Finals, both has won one, lost one. Here comes the tiebreaker -- a Finals rematch that will have high expectations. Miami and San Antonio are the leagues last two teams standing for the second consecutive year, their next chapter starting on the Spurs home floor Thursday night. The Heat won a wild series last season for their second straight championship, needing a frantic rally to avoid elimination in Game 6 and then riding the strength of a 37-point, 12-rebound effort from James to top the Spurs in Game 7. "I think our guys, they actually grew from the loss last year," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "I call it fortitude. I think they showed an unbelievable amount of fortitude. If I can compliment my own team humbly, to have that tough loss, especially the Game 6 and not have a pity party and come back this year and get back to the same position, I think thats fortitude." Its the leagues first Finals rematch since Chicago and Utah played in 1997 and 1998. The teams have actually played three times since last seasons classic series ended, twice in the regular season, another being a preseason meeting in Miami where the Spurs acknowledged that the pain of losing Game 7 on that floor was still real. Then again, its almost like they wanted to feel that hurt at times. Popovich showed the Spurs clips of Games 6 and 7 early in training camp this season, not so much to open old wounds but rather speed up the healing process. "We were just trying to put it away, just get over that part of it, learn from it, and move forward from there," said Duncan, a champion in 1999, 2003, 2005 and 2007. Move forward, they did. San Antonio won 62 games in the regular season, the best record in the league. One of those wins was a 24-point romp over Miami, on the same floor where this series will start on Thursday. The Heat know what wanting revenge feels like. They lost the 2011 NBA Finals to Dallas, then opened the following season on the Mavericks floor and simply blew them away. Heat forward Chris Bosh called it "extra motivation" for the Spurs. "Its just something that we have to deal with, and we know that theyre going to be very passionate, and theyre going to play some good basketball," Bosh said. "So whoever we play, we just have to continue to keep our approach the same and play good basketball." While the Spurs were punching their ticket by ousting Oklahoma City from the West finals on Saturday night, the Heat were getting a day off. James was taking his kids to see X-Men. James Jones went to a home-improvement store for some supplies. Bosh insisted he was going to do as little as possible, and Heat coach Erik Spoelstra isnt summoning his team to practice again until Monday. By then, James will be locked in on the Spurs. "It hasnt really hit us that much yet because I think were in it," James said Friday night after Miami beat Indiana and clinched its fourth consecutive East championship. "I think it will once were done and were able to look back at what we were able to accomplish as players, as a franchise. I think thats when it will really hit us. We definitely dont take it for granted to be in this position." So for the next few days, all the highlights of last years finals will be played over and over again. The shot by Tony Parker -- who missed the second half of Saturday nights game with a left ankle injury -- to win Game 1 in Miami for the Spurs. James twirl-on-the-rim dunk as the Heat pulled away in Game 2. San Antonio sharpshooter Danny Greens Finals-record 3-point display. Boshs rebound that led to Ray Allens shot that saved Miamis season in Game 6. The yellow rope, the precursor to a Spurs celebration that never happened. All made for an epic series. The encore could be even better. "Obviously we are very happy and pleased with the season we have had so far, but we are not by any means satisfied," Green said. "We know we have a lot of work to do against a very good team. There is a reason why theyre back there and are two-time champs. We have our work cut out for us, but we are happy with going back -- just not satisfied."
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Malik Jefferson Jersey .S. international midfielder Michael Bradley is complete.NEW YORK -- Sean Rodriguez hit a tiebreaking homer in the sixth inning and drove in three runs, helping the streaking Tampa Bay Rays extend their longest winning string this year to five and handing the New York Yankees their season-worst fifth straight loss, 6-3 Wednesday. Ben Zobrist doubled twice among his three hits for the Rays, but ran into two outs. With manager Joe Maddon encouraging his team to be more aggressive on the bases, Rodriguez was thrown out trying to stretch an RBI single to the wall in right field in the fourth. The Rays won all three games at Yankee Stadium for their first road sweep since taking three in the Bronx Sept. 24-26. The Rays improved to 11 games under .500 for the first time in a month after falling 18 under on June 10. New York is below .500 at 41-42 for the first time since April 11. Brett Gardner hit a leadoff homer and an RBI single against Jake Odorizzi (4-7) and added another hit for the Yankees. New York could muster little other than Brian McCanns long ball on a sweltering day at Yankee Stadium. Humidity made the temperature feel as if it were in the high 90s. Joel Peralta tied Esteban Yans record for appearances with the Rays at 266 when he pitched a scoreless eighth inning. Brad Boxberger was perfect in the ninth for his first save. Brandon Guyer had an RBI single in the fifth. The Rays put runners on base in every inning but the second against Vidal Nuno (2-5) and three relievers. Tampa Bay scored its first run on McCanns passed ball in the third. McCann made up for it in the bottom half, homering into the short porch in right field with two outs. Despite hitting .220 coming in, McCann batted third beccause Jacoby Ellsbury was given a day off for being "kind of beat up," according to manager Joe Girardi.dddddddddddd After the Rays tied it on Rodriguezs RBI single to right in the fourth -- he was thrown out by Alfonso Soriano, a call upheld by review -- Gardner put the Yankees back on top 3-2 with a bounced single. In this back-and-forth game, the Rays immediately tied it up in the fifth on Guyers RBI single to left field. But Zobrist was thrown out by Gardner trying to score from second. Logan Forsythe led off the sixth with a single to chase Nuno. Rodriguez greeted reliever Shawn Kelley with a drive just left of Monument Park for the first two-run lead of the day. Nuno yielded four runs -- three earned -- and eight hits in five-plus innings. Odorizzi was also pulled in the sixth. He gave up three runs and eight hits. It was the most runs hes allowed since being charged with four on June 5. NOTES: Yankees 1B Mark Teixeira had fluid drained from his right knee. Girardi said Teixeira had been playing with the problem for a short while. "We believe he will be in the lineup tomorrow," Girardi said. ... The Yankees commemorated the 75th anniversary of Lou Gehrigs "Luckiest Man" speech from July 4, 1939 -- the team is in Minnesota on July 4. As part of the ceremony, a video of Derek Jeter and first baseman from all 30 MLB teams reading the speech was shown on the video board. ... New York signed Venezuelan SS Diego Castillo, Baseball Americas No. 24 international prospect. ... Up next: The Yankees start an 11-game road trip in Minnesota on Thursday. The Rays face the Tigers in Detroit in the final stop of a 10-game trip.
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