Herzlich Willkommen » After missing five games with a mild left knee strain

(SportsNetwork.com) - The San Antonio Spurs winning streak was halted last time out, but theyll try and get back into the win column Friday night when they host the Los Angeles Lakers at AT&T Center. The Spurs had a four-game run abruptly halted Thursday night with a 104-81 drubbing to the Chicago Bulls at the United Center. Kawhi Leonard paced the Spurs with 16 points but was held scoreless in the second half. Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Boris Diaw combined to shoot 4- for-22 from the field. They posted 10 points between the three of them. Patty Mills finished with 12 points off the bench and Corey Joseph chipped in 11 for the second unit. The Spurs shot just 37 percent from the field, 28.6 percent from beyond the 3- point line and were out-rebounded 46-39. San Antonio committed 13 turnovers to 10 from the Bulls, who shot better percentages across the board. I thought the Bulls were physically and mentally committed to playing a great game and I thought our play was humiliating and embarrassing, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. Chicago started the third quarter with a 7-0 run, with Tony Snells layup pushing to lead to 53-40, and it was still a 13-point game before the Bulls put the game away with a 14-2 flurry. The Spurs biggest deficit was 25. San Antonio begins a six-game homestand against the Lakers, followed by visits from the Milwaukee Bucks, Charlotte Hornets, LA Clippers, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat. The Lakers have lost six in a row and five straight on the road. Fridays game ends a four-game road trip, but the trek will come to a close with difficult news for the team. Kobe Bryant has a tear in his right rotator cuff and flew back to Los Angeles for further evaluation. Bryant played through the injury in Wednesdays loss to the New Orleans Pelicans, shooting 6-of-14 from the floor for 14 points over 30 minutes. The 36-year-old guard was favoring the shoulder in the fourth quarter after throwing down a dunk and even hit a left-handed floater before exiting to the locker room. I felt fine when I went up and didnt feel too good when I came down, Bryant said. Bryant, who was named a starter to the Western Conference All-Star team, has been in-and-out of the lineup for the past month. He is averaging 22.3 points per game but making just 37.3 percent of his shots. The 19-year veteran has never shot worse than 41.7 percent, and that came during his rookie season. The Lakers fell to the Pelicans, 96-80. Jordan Hill tallied 15 points and 13 boards and Wayne Ellington chipped in 12 off the bench. Following Fridays game, the Lakers will play three straight at home against Houston, Washington and Chicago. The teams have split two meetings this season with the visitor emerging victorious in each encounter. 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It was Silva who looked well on his way to victory in the early going, delivering a pair of crushing kicks to the body that sent Brown crashing to the floor, doubled over in pain. Jake Cave Jersey . -- Having already fallen behind because of the NFL lockout, Blaine Gabbert couldnt afford a lengthy holdout.CHICAGO -- Jose Abreu is not going to let the pressure get to him. The touted rookie from Cuba hit a game-winning grand slam with two outs in the ninth inning for his second home run of the night, rallying the Chicago White Sox past the Tampa Bay Rays 9-6 on Friday. Evan Longorias two-run homer in the top of the ninth put Tampa Bay ahead 6-4, but the White Sox werent done. Abreus drive off closer Grant Balfour (0-1) won it after Chicago pitchers combined for 11 walks. Abreu, who signed a $68 million, six-year contract in the off-season, finished with three hits and six RBIs. He became the first rookie in major league history to hit nine home runs by the end of April. "I really didnt have any expectations. As a matter of fact, I was talking to Albert Pujols during spring training and he told me, Hey, dont worry about hitting the home runs early in the season since its your first season and all that," Abreu said through a translator. "So I wasnt trying to hit them -- they have just happened." Balfour gave up a one-out double to Alejandro De Aza in the ninth, then walked Tyler Flowers and pinch-hitter Paul Konerko. As Konerko trotted to first, Balfour and Konerko exchanged words. "I dont know. I know his thing after every pitch, he comes way in. Likes to get the ball, likes to stare at you, stare at the hitter," Konerko said. "Thats fine, no big deal. You know thats what he likes to do. After I walked there, he is close to me, eye contact was made and I start to run down the line and I heard yelling. I dont know what he was yelling about. I was just trying to make sure it wasnt toward my direction. Thats really it. I think he was probably yelling at himself to get going or get better. When someone that close is yelling, you want to find out why." Balfour said he wasnt trying to show up Konerko. "Im angry at myself, so if he wants to yell at me, whatever. I wasnt yelling at him. I was frustrated by the fact I missed by 6 feet back there," Balfour said. "This is a frustrating night for me. I know Im better than that. So Ill come back tomorrow and turn the page. If I get an opportunity, go out there and get it done." Adam Eaton hit a grounder to second base, but Tampa Bay was unable to turn the double play after getting a force at second. Rays manager Joe Maddon challenged the call, but Eaton clearly beat the throw to first and the ruling was upheld on replay. Balfour walked Marcus Semien to load the basses again and Abreu drove an 0-1 pitch to right-centre for his ninth home run.dddddddddddd "Pretty impressive. Really a big, strong fella with a controlled attitude at the plate thats not a wild swinger. You have to make good pitches to him or hes going to hurt you like he did tonight," Maddon said. "Its not fun when that happens, but Im still going to go out for my Guinness tonight regardless." Matt Joyce drew his team-record fifth walk of the game leading off the ninth against White Sox reliever Matt Lindstrom (2-1). Longoria followed with his third home run of the season to centre to break a 4-all tie. Tyler Flowers had two hits and two RBIs for the White Sox in the opener of a four-game series. Chicago starter Erik Johnson couldnt get out of the second inning. The Rays tied a club mark by drawing 11 walks. Tampa Bay starter Chris Archer pitched six-plus innings. He allowed four runs and nine hits. With the Rays trailing 1-0 in the second, Yunel Escobar and Ryan Hanigan hit back-to-back RBI singles. Ben Zobrist followed with an RBI double. Johnson was chased after walking Joyce with the bases loaded on his 39th pitch of the inning, giving the Rays a 4-1 lead. The Rays batted around against Johnson in the second. Abreu hit a solo shot in the third and the White Sox tied it in the fourth when Flowers lined a two-run single with the bases loaded. But a baserunning gaffe by Chicago prevented a potentially bigger inning. Eaton grounded back to Archer, who caught De Aza between third and home. De Aza was eventually tagged out in a rundown, then Flowers was tagged out while trying to go to third. The Rays had the bases loaded with one out in the fifth, but Hanigan grounded into an inning-ending double play. "Its one of those games, if you permit it to fester, it will, and if you dont permit it, it wont," Maddon said. "So for me, its a loss and a loss is a loss is a loss. Of course, we really had a chance to win that game, but youve got to come and play tomorrow -- you dont get a week off." After missing five games with a mild left knee strain, Eaton led off the first inning with a single and stole second. He later scored on Abreus single. NOTES: Before the game, the White Sox claimed reliever Hector Noesi off waivers from Texas. He is expected to throw a bullpen before Saturdays game. ... Rays LHP Cesar Ramos will start Saturday in place of LHP Matt Moore, who had Tommy John surgery Tuesday. ' ' '