ght and walking one to improve to 4-0 with a 3.80 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabled list on July 20. Steve Cishek, who had lost his clos

Gregg Popovich spoke for about 15 minutes, sometimes unable to hide his emotions, all the while wearing a T-shirt that had Tim Duncans face printed on the front. When the last question was answered, the coach turned, put his hands in his pockets and silently walked into a new era for the San Antonio Spurs.Its a day Popovich knew was coming.That clearly didnt make it any easier.Hes irreplaceable, Popovich said.Choking up at times and making wisecracks at others, Popovich bade a public farewell to Duncans playing career on Tuesday. The five-time NBA champion announced his retirement on Monday in a statement released through the team, ending a 19-year career that was spent entirely in San Antonio.I figured I better come out here and do this and somehow say goodbye to him, Popovich said. Which is an impossibility, for a lot of reasons.Popovich spoke in a corner of the Spurs practice facility in San Antonio, the spot where he holds court with reporters after workouts during the season. There was no news conference, no elaborate setup, not even any live coverage permitted. Even for something that will have so much impact on the team, the league and the sport, the Spurs kept things as simple as possible.Duncan is leaving. In some respects, everything is changing. In others, nothing will.I think it will be a seamless transition for the team, former NBA coach and current television analyst Jeff Van Gundy said. I think who its going to be hard on is Gregg Popovich.Popovich gave no indications otherwise Tuesday.All in one answer -- the premise being picking one person in history to have dinner with -- Popovich made mention of Mother Teresa, Jesus, the Dalai Lama, William F. Buckley, Gore Vidal and actor John Cleese. But given the choice between any of those people, or anyone else, Popovich said he would choose to dine with Duncan.I can honestly tell you my dinner would be with Timmy, Popovich said. And it would be because hes the most real, consistent, true person that Ive ever met in my life.I can be on him in a game and ask him why hes not rebounding in a relatively stern way and really get on him in front of everybody, Popovich continued. And on his way back to the court, hell say, `Thanks for the motivation, Pop. Thanks for the support, Pop. Then hell turn away with his eyes up in the air and well both start laughing. And people dont see those things. But his teammates have and thats why his teammates love him.Duncan will go down as one of the best to ever play the game, and Popovich said he was the best teammate any Spurs player could have had.There were moments of humor, too, like Popovich saying Duncan made him wear the clothes he gave him -- including the shirt he donned Tuesday -- or else he wouldnt play.I remember a pretty neat summer league game when he first came in and (Greg) Ostertag blocked his shot, Popovich said when asked what moment of Duncans career he enjoyed most. That was pretty cool.Mostly, Popovichs words showed sadness and appreciation.He spoke at length about Duncans humility, and how that was instilled in him long ago. Popovich told a story about when Duncans father, who died in 2002, told the Spurs coach he needed to ensure his son would not be changed by fame or fortune.I can still remember before his father passed away, looking me in the eye and saying `Im going to hold you responsible to make sure that when hes done hes the same person he is now. And in that respect, he is, Popovich said. Hes grown as a person, as we all do, through experiences. But his inner core, he was over himself when he came in and after all these accolades and all this success, hes still over himself. Hasnt changed a lick.Duncan and Popovich won more games together than any player-coach combination in NBA history -- and Popovich said he owes his own success to the now-retired star, not the other way around.To think of a season without Duncan, Popovich said, is mindboggling.I would not be standing here if it wasnt for Tim Duncan, Popovich said. Id be in the Budweiser league, someplace in America, fat and still trying to play basketball or coach basketball. Hes why Im standing.---AP Basketball Writer Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis and Associated Press Writer Raul Dominguez in San Antonio contributed to this report. Swell Bottle Nz Liberty .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. SWell Marble Water Bottle . Tracey comes to the Blue Bombers after spending over a decade with Queens University. Most recently he was the schools assistant football coach. http://www.swellbottlesnz.com/swell-bottle-nz-sale.html .R. Smith realized how easily basketball can be taken from him, and he wasnt going to take his place in the NBA for granted anymore. Discount Swell Bottles .Y. -- Paul Byron and Matt Stajan scored as the Calgary Flames started a five-game road trip with a 2-1 overtime win over the Buffalo Sabres on Saturday afternoon. sWell Bottle Stockists . -- Yogi Ferrell orchestrates pretty much everything in Indianas offence. SEATTLE -- Seattle ace Felix Hernandez couldnt pick a better time to be regaining his form.Hernandez pitched eight strong innings and Mike Zunino homered and drove in three runs to lift the Mariners to an 8-2 victory over Milwaukee on Saturday night, handing the Brewers their sixth straight loss.Im getting better every time out, said Hernandez, who missed almost two months with a strained right calf. The first two innings, not that loose, and then after that everything clicked. Good fastball, good changeup, good curveball.Hernandez (8-4) gave up two runs and seven hits, striking out eight and walking one to improve to 4-0 with a 3.80 ERA in seven starts since coming off the disabled list on July 20. Steve Cishek, who had lost his closers role, pitched a perfect ninth.Hes rounding into Felix form, no doubt, Mariners manager Scott Servais said. Hes having fun. Hes healthy. He feels good about where hes at. Hes got some bullets left in his arm, having been out as long as he has. Hes still fresh.Seattle, which has won eight straight homes games and 12 of its last 15 overall, pulled one game behind Baltimore for the American Leagues second wild card.Zunino and Leonys Martin hit back to back homers off Wily Peralta (5-9) to open the bottom of the seventh, stretching Seattles lead to 4-0. Peralta was making his third start since being recalled from Triple-A Colorado Springs.When you face a guy like King Felix, your teams not going to give up, said Peralta, demoted in June after being the Brewers opening day starter. Not many runs, overall, until the last two home runs in the seventh, so I think I was throwing OK.The Brewers broke through against Hernandez in the eighth on an RBI double by Ryan Braun and a run-scoring single by Hernan Perez.The Mariners then added four runs in the bottom of the inning, capped by Zuninos two-run double to right-center.I just knew I had to be patient throughout the night and Id get a couple pitches I could hit, said Zunino, who was not called up from Triple-A until late July. Its just nice to be in a couple of those situations late in the game with runners on.Martin manufactured a run in the third to put Seattle up 1-0. He walked, stole second, moved to third on Ketel Martes ground out and came home on Norichika Aokis single to left.Aoki drove in the Mariners second run in the fifth, slapping an opposite-field double to left to score Marte from first.The Mariners doubled their lead in the seventh when Zunino opened with his eighth homer and Martin followed with his 14th.I think they weere bad pitches, Brewers manager Craig Counsell said.dddddddddddd Tired? I thought the first two hitters, I thought hed be good for sure for the first two hitters. I wanted Blaine (Boyer) ready for Marte, but unfortunately the first two hitters homered.Hernandez pitched out of trouble several times earlier, stranding a runner at third in the first, and runners at second in the second and sixth.His last two starts, hes just getting stronger and stronger, catcher Zunino said. Hes finding his rhythm, his commands great, hes doing a great job throwing the ball inside to both lefties and righties and thats opening everything up. And, his change-ups getting very close to what it was.AOKI HOTThe veteran outfielder, who was sent to Triple-A Tacoma for 16 games in July, has hit safely in 11 of his last 15 games, including three three-hit games. He is hitting .358 over that stretch with five doubles, three RBI and hit by pitches twice. I think I made pretty good pitches to him. But he just still found the barrel, put it in play, Peralta said. The first hit he got was on a very good pitch. The second one I missed a little bit. The third one was a fastball up, for some reason he just put the barrel on it. Hes pretty hot right now.TRAINERS ROOMBrewers: RHP Junior Guerra, on the 15-day DL (right elbow inflammation) reported no problems after a bullpen session on Friday and now will pitch in a simulated game. The next step for him will be Monday, hell face hitters ... basically pitch two innings, manager Craig Counsell said. Guerra, a 31-year-old rookie, has been a surprise with a 7-3 record and 2.93 ERA in 17 starts.Mariners: LHP James Paxton, on the 15-day DL with a bruised left elbow after being hit by a line drive, made a short rehab start Saturday at Triple-A Tacoma. In a 53-pitch outing, Paxton allowed two hits with one walk and three strikeouts in three scoreless innings. He could return to the rotation next Thursday.UP NEXTBrewers: RHP Matt Garza (4-5, 4.87 ERA), makes his first start against the Mariners since 2010, when he was with Tampa Bay. Garza opened the season on the DL and is making his 13th start since being activated in mid-June. He is 3-1 in his last four starts.Mariners: Rookie LHP Ariel Miranda (1-0, 5.79) makes his third start for Seattle since being acquired from Baltimore for Wade Miley. He allowed three runs on three hits on five innings in his last start, a no-decision. ' ' '