News » ans retirement ceremony. Popovich responded in typical Popovic

Psyche is a fragile thing in football; all it takes is a few things to go wrong for the ship to sink completely. This was the case for Jose Mourinhos Chelsea last season, as the Portuguese manager watched his side sink as far down the table as 16th before getting sacked in December.Fast forward, and Antonio Contes boys are aiming to make it four wins from four on Sunday when they travel to Liberty Stadium to battle Swansea City.The Blues (3-0-0), close to unchanged from the side that finished 10th last season aside from nabbing NGolo Kante away from Champions Leicester City, have responded to a new voice in the dressing room and more resemble the team that won the league title in 2014-15.After a pair of 2-1 wins to open the season, Contes club added some style in a 3-0 destruction of Burnley prior to the international break. Eden Hazard, who managed only four goals last season in league play, opened the scoring after nine minutes while Willian and Victor Moses also contributed goals.Conte was happy with his sides ability to keep a clean sheet and maintain some defencive consistency.Im pleased to score the goals, its always important to score one more goal than your opponent, but to keep a clean sheet is also important for the confidence of the whole team, the Italian manager said. When you keep a clean sheet, the whole team works very well, not only the defenders. When we concede a goal, all of the team concedes a goal.If I am able to choose our way to defend it is to go forward and not behind. When you stay too much behind, there is the long ball and anything can happen. We are improving this aspect.After opening the campaign with an impressive 1-0 victory over Burnley away from home, Swansea City (1-0-2) are aiming to find their way back to the winning track after two straight setbacks.The Swans performed admirably at Leicester prior to the break, but found themselves behind by a pair of strikes after 52 minutes as Jamie Vardy and Wes Morgan fired the hosts in front. New signing Leroy Fer pulled one back for the Swans with 10 minutes to play, but an equalizer proved elusive.Swansea manager Francesco Guidolin told his club it is time to deliver the goods opposite Chelsea.I think we have a good team, Guidolin declared. I am happy with my players and I think its important to look to the future with optimism. But its time to do well on the pitch, because I was disappointed with the last game at Leicester.We prepared another game before Leicester, but they played very well in the first half and they deserved to win. We have to change this because the Premier League is very hard, but with my players I am confident.Guidolin has been pleased with his teams training ahead of this fixture.In the last two weeks we have worked hard to prepare for the game against Chelsea, he said. We have not had a lot of players (because of the international break), but I think we have worked well.Swansea beat and an undermanned Chelsea club the last time they met in April, but in order to begin ascending up the table, defender Angel Rangel believes they need to play better at home.I think now more than ever the Liberty has to be a fortress for us, Rangel said. We didnt win our first home game so that means the second is more important.Its against one of the big clubs, but we did beat Chelsea last season. I know it is not the same Chelsea now, but we are at home and we have to rely on our home form. We need to show the fans and the Premier League that the Liberty is a difficult place to come. 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SAN ANTONIO -- Before retiring Tim Duncans No. 21, the San Antonio Spurs paid tribute to their longtime teammate by playing the game as he did for 19 seasons.LaMarcus Aldridge had 22 points and the Spurs turned in a fundamentally strong performance in a 113-100 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday.It was a game that we had to win, that we wanted to win badly, San Antonio veteran Manu Ginobili said prior to the ceremony that followed the game. Even if we would have lost, this is way beyond it.Todays celebration is very, very important for his teammates, coaches and the whole franchise, the city. That guy is special. Even if we would have lost, it would have been an emotional night. Im emotional now and it hasnt even started.Duncan retired in the offseason after winning five championships and two MVPs in 19 seasons, all with San Antonio.For us, its harder for us to stay focused for this game, Spurs guard Danny Green said. Coming in, we knew it was going to be a lot of fun, but we wanted to be focused and respect New Orleans.Duncans style of play earned him the nickname The Big Fundamental, and the Spurs honored him with their own rather seamless performance against the Pelicans.San Antonio had six players score in double figures, got 31 assists on 42 baskets, committed just 13 turnovers and shot 49 percent from the field.Our physical effort was pretty good, Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. Our mental effort was better than it has been. A lot of people participated and got involved, so that was good.Ginobili and Tony Parker, who combined to form The Big Three with Duncan, combined for 29 points, seven assists and five rebounds.San Antonio won its fourth straight overall and fourth consecutive at home after a slow start at the AT&T Center.Aldridge got the Spurs first points on a 20-foot jumper. San Antonio signed Aldridge to play alongside Duncan last season and eventually replace him at power forward.He was very aggressive tonight, PPopovich said.dddddddddddd He wanted the ball. He demanded the ball, and he got the ball. He was very aggressive going to the hole. Taking shots that were open.Aldridge shot 6 for 15 from the field in 26 minutes.Alexis Ajinca led New Orleans with 16 points. Anthony Davis was limited to 12 points on 5-of-12 shooting.The Pelicans lost for the eighth time in 10 games.Were very inconsistent, Davis said. One game we play well offensively, defensively were talking, and another game were not. Weve got to figure out what team we want to be identified as. We cant keep going game from game with a different identity. Weve got to come out the same way.TIP-INSPelicans: F Solomon Hill missed the game to be with his wife after the birth of their first child. ... Quincy Pondexter has not played this season after having arthroscopic surgery on his left knee in March 2016. ... The Pelicans are 13-41 against the Spurs in franchise history, including just four wins in 28 games in San Antonio.Spurs: San Antonio retired Duncans jersey following the game. Among his former teammates in attendance to honor Duncan were David Robinson, Bruce Bowen, Sean Elliott, Malik Rose, Antonio Daniels and Will Perdue. ... The Spurs are 10-0 this season when Tony Parker scores in double figures. Parker had 12 on 6-for-12 shooting against the Pelicans. ... San Antonio has 30 alley-oop dunks in 26 games this season. They had 18 all of last season.IS THERE A PATENT?Popovich was asked if the Spurs played harder to ensure they didnt put a damper on Duncans retirement ceremony. Popovich responded in typical Popovich fashion.I brought my `I want to play for Timmy Duncan tonight gauge, Popovich said, but I left it in the locker room so Im not exactly sure how fired up they were.UP NEXTPelicans: At New Orleans on Tuesday night.Spurs: At Houston on Tuesday night. ' ' '