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LOS ANGELES -- The improved Los Angeles Lakers play host to the San Antonio Spurs in a matchup of two of the NBAs top offensive teams and best defensive clubs on Friday night at Staples Center.The Spurs (9-3) are riding a four-game winning streak after a 110-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Wednesday night. Ex-Laker Pau Gasol led the way for San Antonio with a season-high 24 points and nine rebounds. Gasol will face his former team for the first time in a Spurs uniform.The Lakers (7-5), who have won three of their last four games, will face an obvious and early challenge against the Spurs, annually one of the leagues top teams. After dropping consecutive contests to the Los Angeles Clippers and Houston Rockets at home more than a week ago, the Spurs responded with consecutive wins over the Detroit Pistons, the Rockets, the Miami Heat and the Kings.Were connecting with each other better, moving the ball better, said Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, who is tied with Larry Brown for seventh on the all-time NBA list for regular-season coaching victories at 1,098. Were improving.The Spurs are 6-0 on the road and have captured the last five contests against the Lakers, going 4-0 last season. Ball movement and contributions from several players sparked the Spurs recent surge.Forward Kawhi Leonard, again an early MVP candidate, is averaging 25 points per game and 2.4 steals (third best in the league). LaMarcus Aldridge is scoring 17.8 points per game and hitting 54.5 percent of his 3-point attempts.Were at our best when we move the ball, when we make the defense work and we find the open guys, Gasol said. We get much better shots that way, and it pays off. It creates a flow and energy that carries over to the defensive end.The Spurs average 101.9 points on offense (19th in the NBA), but their defense is holding opponents to 96.8 points (fourth).The Lakers have emerged as one of the leagues top scoring teams. Los Angeles is ranked second in scoring at 110 points per game, trailing only the Golden State Warriors (117.4 points).Point guard DAngelo Russell scored a season-high 32 points and forward Julius Randle contributed a triple-double with 17 points, 14 rebounds and 10 assists Wednesday in a 125-118 win over the Brooklyn Nets.The Lakers bench has been another strength, averaging a league-best 50.6 points. Reserve guard Lou Williams has been one of the main sparkplugs with a 15.6 scoring average.They have been great all year, so obviously were not going to complain about them, but even before the (Brooklyn) game I said I think the reason that they have so much success is because of how unselfish they play as a group, Lakers coach Luke Walton said of his reserves.Both clubs are among the leaders in 3-point shooting percentage. San Antonio is ranked second at 39.2 percent per game, with Los Angeles is tied for third with Golden State at 37.4 percent.The Spurs will be without center Dewayne Dedmon (left knee sprain), who is not traveling with the team. Wholesale Nike NFL Jerseys . Giroud, who wasnt in the starting lineup for two matches after allegations about his private life and a decline in form, scored twice in the first half. Tomas Rosickys chip made it 3-0 before half time at Emirates Stadium, while defender Laurent Koscielny scored an unmarked header in the second half. Wholesale Jerseys Free Shipping . -- The Missouri Tigers might not have a roster full of superstars. http://www.jerseyscheapnfl.us/ .J. Jefferson has been charged with assaulting his girlfriend. Jerseys NFL Cheap .H. -- Matt Kenseth made it 2 for 2 in the Chase, holding off teammate Kyle Busch to win Sunday at New Hampshire Motor Speedway. China Jerseys Cheap . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. ATLANTA -- Josh Pastner saw plenty of areas needed for improvement in his first game as Georgia Techs head coach.He wants the pace to speed up. He wants players making quicker cuts on offense. He doesnt want to call a play every time his team has possession.I want our guys to be able to play with freedom and structure and make plays, but with that comes lots of responsibility, Pastner said. Theyve got to understand how to play the right way.Josh Okogie scored 18 points, Ben Lammers added 15 points and Pastner won his Georgia Tech debut with a 70-55 victory over Tennessee Tech on Friday night.Quinton Stephens finished with 12 points and six rebounds for the Yellow Jackets.Lammers output was a career high, as were his five blocks. Okogie was 7 for 9 from the field and had five rebounds.Micaiah Henry finished with 15 points and JaCardo Hawkins added 10 points for Tennessee Tech.Pastner went 167-73 and led Memphis to four NCAA tournaments in seven seasons before joining the Yellow Jackets last spring. Hes beginning a major rebuilding project with one of the nations least experienced rosters.Pastner had four players making their first college start -- Lammers, Okogie, Abdoulaye Gueye and Justin Moore. Stephens started 14 games last season.The Jackets were without Josh Heath, who was suspended for the first four games of the season for violating team rules. Tadric Jackson missed the game with a hamstring injury.Georgia Tech never trailed after Stephens jumper gave the Jackets a one-point lead in the first 5 minutes of the first half.Okogies 3-pointer in front of the Jackets bench pushed the lead to 61-48 with 3:59 remaining. Stephens 3 made it 64-50 a couple of possessions later.Pastner has high expectations for Okogie, who starred at nearby Shiloh High School in Snellville.dddddddddddd Okogie played 21 minutes, about 10 minutes less than the other starters because he picked up three fouls in the first half. Pastner said two of them were 94 feet from the basket.I think Josh Okogie has a chance down the road to be a really good ACC player, Pastner said. Im a big, big fan of Josh Okogie. I just didnt think he played real well tonight. He can play way better. Hes got that ability.Tennessee Tech guard Aleksa Jugovic began the night shooting 39.4 percent in 259 career attempts on 3s, but he went just 1 for 6 beyond the arc and finished with five points.BIG PICTURETennessee Tech: The Golden Eagles went 19-12 last season, 11-5 in the Ohio Valley Conference. They were picked in preseason to finish fourth in the East Division for the second straight year.We lost three really good seniors last year off a good team, coach Steve Payne said. They are hard to replace. The guys that were our go-to were offensive guys, and everybody is playing a new role or we have some new guys playing.Georgia Tech: The departures of last years most productive players -- Marcus Georges-Hunt, Adam Smith, Charles Mitchell and Nick Jacobs -- left a major scoring and rebounding void, about 53 points and 21 boards per game. Pastner said earlier that he likely will change the starting lineup a few times in November to decide who best fits the role.UP NEXTTennessee Tech: Hosts Central Michigan on Monday. It will be the first meeting between the two schools.Georgia Tech: Host Southern on Monday. Southern is the second of five straight home games for the Jackets.---Online:AP College Basketball: www.collegebasketball.ap.org ' ' '