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SAN ANTONIO -- Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker, the winningest trio in NBA post-season history, shared hugs. Players wrapped themselves in flags from around world, a reminder that the San Antonio Spurs look far beyond the border to build champions, as confetti fell from above. Painfully denied 12 months ago by the Miami Heat, this victory party was worth the wait. "It makes last year OK," Duncan said. The Spurs finished off a dominant run to their fifth NBA championship Sunday night, ending the Heats two-year title reign with a 104-87 victory that wrapped up the series in five games. "We had a great first quarter, but from that point on they were the better team, and thats why theyre the champions in 2014," said LeBron James, who led the Heat with 31 points and 10 rebounds. San Antonio erased an early 16-point deficit and routed Miami for the fourth time in the series, denying the Heats quest for a third straight championship. A year after the Spurs suffered their only loss in six finals appearances -- a heartbreaking seven-game defeat -- they turned the rematch into no match at all. "We wanted to redeem ourselves. Im just glad we were able to do that," Parker said. Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard had 22 points and 10 rebounds for the Spurs, who added this title to the ones they won in 1999, 2003, 05 and 07. They nearly had another last year, but couldnt hold off the Heat. "Ive said many times, a day didnt go by where I didnt think about Game 6," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said of the turning point in last years finals. "So I think, just in general, for the group to have the fortitude that they showed to get back to this spot, I think speaks volumes about how theyre constituted and what kind of fiber they have." Not to mention tons of talent, and perhaps the best coaching in the game. "They played exquisite basketball this series and in particular these last three games and they are the better team. Theres no other way to say it," Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. The Spurs won four titles in nine years, but hadnt been back on top since 2007, making Foreigners "Feels Like the First Time" an appropriate song choice after the final buzzer. Duncan and Popovich have been here for all of them, and it was the fourth for Parker and Ginobili, who with Duncan are once again the reigning the Big Three in the NBA. Chris Bosh finished with 13 points and Dwyane Wade just 11 on 4-of-12 shooting for the Heat. The painful conclusion to last years NBA Finals served as the fuel for this one, powering the Spurs to a league-best 62-win season and a rematch with Miami -- the first in the finals since Chicago beat Utah in 1997-98. Round 2 went to the Spurs, but both teams have challenges to navigate if there is to be a rubber match. San Antonio will face questions -- as it has for years -- about the age of its core, and whether Duncan, Ginobili and Popovich want to stick around. The Heat will brace for the potential free agency of James, Wade and Bosh, and will need younger, fresher pieces around the three All-Stars if they all stay. But this moment belongs to the Spurs. Playing a methodical, albeit winning, style for many years made San Antonio respected, but never beloved. The Spurs were TV ratings killers, casual viewers finding them not much fun to watch. But Popovich opened up the offence a few years ago, making the Spurs an easy-to-like, tough-to-beat group that thrives on ball movement and 3-point shooting. "You showed the world how beautiful this game is," Commissioner Adam Silver told the Spurs during the postgame award ceremony. A decade and a half after winning their first title in 1999, when Duncan was in his second season, the Spurs remain the NBAs model organization, a small-market team that simply wins big and hardly ever does it with a high draft pick. Instead, they found players overseas or in other organizations who would fit the Spurs way of doing things and mesh with the Duncan, Parker and Ginobili, who have teamed for 117 postseason victories. That included Leonard, acquired in a draft-night trade with Indiana after playing at San Diego State, and Patty Mills, an Australian national who scored 17 points off the bench. In the end, the Spurs made winning their fifth title look stunningly easy -- much to the delight of the home crowd. After the slow start, they had their fans standing, chanting and dancing much of the second half. Notes: It was the Spurs 12th win by 15 or more points, most ever in a post-season. The Spurs outscored opponents by 214 points in the post-season. ... Miami had won 11 straight series, tied for the fifth-longest streak in NBA history. JJ Redick Pelicans Jersey . The first of the three games will be played in Week 4, when the Oakland Raiders will take on the Miami Dolphins on Sept. Josh Hart Pelicans Jersey . -- Canadian mens rugby coach Kieran Crowley has made four changes to his starting roster for Saturdays Pacific Nations Cup clash against the United States. https://www.pelicanslockerroom.com/Josh-Hart-City-Edition-Jersey/ . Future Hall of Famer Ricky Ray is in his prime and back for a third season in double blue. The 34-year old was magnificent in 2013, throwing for just under 2,900 yards despite missing eight games, tossing an impressive 21 touchdowns against just two interceptions, completing 66 per cent of his passes in the process. Jahlil Okafor Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla. Jahlil Okafor Pelicans Jersey . Rajne Soderberg, the director of the Stockholm Diamond League event, said in an email Friday that the ban still holds. Euromeetings, the organization representing Europes top track events, "will continue to recommend that members do not invite athletes who we believe cause disrepute to our meetings and our sport.TORONTO - Starting pitcher J.A. Happ and catcher Erik Kratz had a plan. The left-hander came through with six solid innings and, with two home runs and three RBI from Edwin Encarnacion, the Blue Jays defeated the Cleveland Indians 4-2 on Thursday. Happ (2-1) allowed six hits, two walks and one run, on a homer by David Murphy in the fifth inning, in his third start of the season. The left-handed pitcher believes preparation with Kratz was the key to his success. "We went over some stuff before the game about how we wanted to attack them a little bit more deliberately," Happ said. "And for the most part we were able to do that." Blue Jays manager John Gibbons, who won his 400th game with Toronto, liked how the teams starting battery operated. "(Happ) stepped up," said Gibbons. "I thought Kratz did a nice job with him, working that fastball on the inside part of the plate. That was big for him, it really was. And big for us." Happs control impressed the Indians lineup as well. "His fastball was really getting on guys," Cleveland left-fielder Ryan Raburn said. "I know its 92-93 but out of his hand, it just seemed a lot harder. And he spotted his pitches. He didnt miss over the plate a whole lot from what I saw." Encarnacion, who has eight homers on the season, also had a double and lined out to third in his other at-bat. Juan Francisco hit his seventh homer of the season for the Blue Jays (21-21) who won the rubber match of a three-game series with the Indians (19-22) to complete a 5-4 home stand. If Happ is battling to prove to some people that he belongs in the rotation, he preferred not to discuss it in detail. "I dont want to get into that," Happ said. "I think youre always doing that to somebody. That person may change or those people may change." Encarnacion has been the designated hitter for the past two games with Adam Lind playing first base. The change was made just before Wednesdays game because Encarnacion had spasms in his upper back. "It felt a lot better today, so Im ready to go," Encarnacion said. "I felt a lot better at the plate. The last couple of games Ive been getting hits. Ive been great at the plate the last couple of weekend, and it makes me happy and very proud because when I play like that I know I can help the team win." "Hes one of the top sluggers in the game," Gibbons said. "Got off to a slow start, then he kicked it in. You look where hes at now, too, hes been barrelling a lot of balls all year, especially the last month, and a number of times he got nothing to show for it. So numbers could be even better now with little breaks here or there, a little luck. "But hes key to this team, of course with him and (Jose) Bautissta back to back.dddddddddddd Thats big. Of course, Lindy and now with Francisco. Those two (Encarnacion and Bautista), we know what to expect, theyre a given. But I like the way our lineup looks now. Its that much stronger, top to bottom." Cleveland dropped to 4-10 when facing a left-handed starter, 0-8 on the road, this season. Happ opened the season on the disabled list with a sore back and began pitching from the bullpen on his return. Casey Janssen, who also started the season on the disabled list, pitched the ninth for his second save of the season. Cleveland right-hander Danny Salazar (1-4) needed 98 pitches to work through four innings and was replaced by right-hander C.C. Lee to start the fifth with the Blue Jays leading 2-1. Salazar allowed five hits, including second-inning homers by Encarnacion and Francisco, two walks and two runs. He also hit a batter. "I just didnt have a good feeling for the ball today to command my fastball, and my change-up wasnt there," Salazar said. He felt that he made a good pitch on Franciscos homer. "I was just behind in the count," he said. "Theyre going to be ready to hit everything there." Lee faced two batters. Bautista led off the fifth with a single and Encarnacion lofted a drive to left on a 3-2 fastball. It was the second time he has hit two homers in a game this season and it was the 13th multi-homer game of his career. Left-hander Brett Cecil pitched the seventh for Toronto and right-hander Steve Delabar took over in the eighth and was greeted by Raburns double. Carlos Santana walked. But Asdrubal Cabrera lined out to right and pinch hitter Lonnie Chisenhall lined out to centre. Yan Gomes singled up the middle to cut the lead to two runs and bring in left-hander Aaron Loup. He struck out Murphy, who had five hits and five RBI in Clevelands 15-4 win on Wednesday. NOTES: Right-hander Dustin McGowan, who is 2-2 with a 5.08 earned-run average in eight starts, has been removed from the starting rotation and will pitch from the bullpen. Right-handers Marcus Stroman and Todd Redmond are candidates to start in his place next Tuesday in Boston. Right-hander Liam Hendriks who is 5-0 with a 1.51 ERA at triple-A Buffalo is another possibility. … Centre-fielder Colby Rasmus (hamstring) was placed on the 15-day disabled list on Thursday and outfielder Anthony Gose was recalled from Buffalo. …The Indians put outfielder Nyjer Morgan (right knee sprain) on the DL and called up infielder Jesus Aguilar from triple-A Columbus. … The Blue Jays travel to Arlington, Tex., to play the Rangers in a three-game series that opens Friday with Drew Hutchison (1-3, 4.37 ERA) starting against Yu Darvish (3-1, 2.33 ERA). ' ' '