The NBA season gets underway tonight as the defending champion San Antonio Spurs play host to their bitter rivals the Dallas Mavericks followed by a matchup between the Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers. Robinson Chirinos Jersey . You can catch all the action starting at 8pm ET/5pm PT on TSN2. Spurs vs Mavericks - 8pm ET/5pm PT The San Antonio Spurs will begin defense of their NBA title on Tuesday night when they kick off the 2014-15 campaign with a home matchup against bitter rivals, the Dallas Mavericks. The Spurs will receive their championship rings in a pre-game ceremony and, for the fifth time in franchise history, San Antonio will raise a title banner. Its an unbelievable feeling, said All-Star guard Tony Parker. At the same time, its a tough night because you know youre happy and you get a ring, but you have to focus on the game. It is difficult. The Spurs are 4-0 in the previous games they received their championship rings. The Spurs cruised to a fifth title in the Tim Duncan/Gregg Popovich era in June, dismantling the Miami Heat in more ways than one. San Antonio cruised to a five-game NBA Finals victory, and LeBron James bolted South Beach, thus ending the Big Three incarnation in Miami. And, basically, the Spurs returned everyone from that title roster. Not everyone will play in the season-opener. Kawhi Leonard, the Finals MVP, will miss the game with a right eye infection, Tiago Splitter has a calf injury, and Patty Mills will miss the first few months after shoulder surgery. But Duncan, Parker, Manu Ginobili and Pop are back. The Spurs only additions this offseason were first-round pick Kyle Anderson and Becky Hammond, the first female assistant coach to start a season in the NBA. San Antonio, despite its great record in ring games, will need all hands on deck Tuesday night. The Spurs open with their inter-state rivals, a Mavericks team that gave them their most difficult challenge last postseason. Dallas took the Spurs to seven games, a feat the Portland Trail Blazers, Oklahoma City Thunder and Heat all failed to reach. San Antonio gained confidence from its thrilling first-round escape. Game 7 was definitely a big one win for us, got us focused, said Parker. Then, we started rolling after that. Theres a fine line between winning and losing. The Mavericks improved this offseason with the signings of Chandler Parsons and Jameer Nelson, coupled with the trade for Tyson Chandler and Raymond Felton. Chandler returns after anchoring the defense that helped Dallas win the NBA title in 2011. However, the Mavericks are still led by Dirk Nowitzki, a 12-time All-Star. The future Hall of Famer returned to the midseason classic last season, and, while excited to have his fellow big man back in Big D, Nowitzki cautioned about returning to the past. Weve got a good and deep team now, and we just want to make our own destiny, Nowitzki said. We cant always live in 2010-11. That was a great year for us, but this is almost a completely new team. But, you know, were very deep. Weve got a lot of scorers on this team and weve got a lot of playmakers. Its fun to play that way, and offensively were just sharing the ball. Hopefully, we can keep it going. The Mavs improved, but lost several solid veterans like Shawn Marion, Vince Carter, Jose Calderon and Samuel Dalembert. With Nowitzki at the helm, Monta Ellis manning a wing and head coach Rick Carlisle pacing the sidelines, the Mavs should be in the thick of things come playoff time. Despite the epic seven-game Western Conference semifinal series, the Spurs have owned the Mavericks in the regular season. San Antonio has taken nine straight regular-season meetings, including seven consecutive in the AT&T Center. Lakers vs Rockets - 10:30pm ET/7:30pm PT Kobe Bryant returns to the Los Angeles Lakers lineup Tuesday night as they open the season at the Staples Center against the Houston Rockets. Bryant played just six games last season after starting the campaign recovering from a torn left Achilles tendon. He then hurt his left knee and was shut down for the season. The 36-year-old future Hall of Famer will begin his 19th season, all with the Lakers, with the added significance, even if Bryant wants to downplay it to some degree, of returning from injury. Its step one of a long journey, said Bryant. Im excited to get back out there and I cant say I havent missed the game. I missed it so much. Im just happy to be playing. The Lakers have to be happy as well. The team endured a 27-55 campaign, the franchises worst mark in the 82-game schedule era, and only the second season under .500 since Bryant joined the NBA. Things didnt get much better in the offseason, excluding Bryants return to the lineup. Pau Gasol left the team via free agency, deciding to sign with the Chicago Bulls. Steve Nashs tenure with the team will end with a missed season due to a back injury. Mike DAntoni resigned as head coach and the Lakers, very late in the hiring process, brought back former player, Byron Scott. Hes been very successful in stops in New Orleans and with the Nets, but his recent run with the Cleveland Cavaliers was less than memorable. Jeremy Lin was acquired from the Houston Rockets, Carlos Boozer was claimed after the Bulls amnestied him and the team selected Julius Randle with its first-round pick. Nick Young, the teams leading scorer last season, will miss time at the start of the season thanks to a torn radial collateral ligament in his right thumb. The Rockets are coming off an impressive 54-28 2013-14 season, but were bounced in the first round of the Western Conference playoffs by the Portland Trail Blazers. Houston held the homecourt advantage in the series, but it didnt matter. Needing to improve, the Rockets went in the opposite direction. They lost key personnel and failed to land the big free-agent prize in the summer, despite sending rotation players packing in order to free up cap space. The Rockets shipped Lin to the Lakers and packaged Omer Asik to the New Orleans Pelicans. These moves were done with the intention of prying Chris Bosh from the Miami Heat. Seemed like the Rockets were in a good position to do that when LeBron James left the Heat for the Cavs, but Bosh re-upped with the Heat. Then, Chandler Parsons, the teams third-leading scorer last season, signed an offer sheet with the Dallas Mavericks. Houston opted not to match, so Trevor Ariza was brought in as his replacement. Houston lost three key players, failed to get Bosh and has taken steps backward in the ultra-competitive Western Conference. Game starts tomorrow, so were going to have to be ready, head coach Kevin McHale said Monday. Were ready to get going and find out where were at. The Rockets still have All-NBA performers in shooting guard James Harden and center Dwight Howard. McHales squad needs to improve its rebounding, especially on the defensive side, and defense in general. Ariza is a massive upgrade defensively over Parsons, point guard Patrick Beverley made the All- Defensive second team and Howard was the Defensive Player of the Year four times. The Rockets won three of four against the Lakers last season, but are 3-6 in the last nine as the visitor in this series. Jurickson Profar Jersey . Kevin Martin and Kevin Love paced the Timberwolves like they do so often. Martin had 27 points with some key baskets down the stretch, Love had his usual double-double, and the Timberwolves snapped a three-game losing streak with a 112-106 victory Saturday night over the suddenly slipping Dallas Mavericks. Edinson Volquez Jersey . - Bryan Price sat down in the cushy chair. http://www.officialrangersgearshop.com/Rangers-Joey-Gallo-Kids-Jersey/ . Kyle Denbrook, a soccer player from Saint Marys University, took the CIS male athlete of the week honour. Stanley, a fourth-year business administration student from Charlottetown, scored both goals in a 2-0 win over Dalhousie on Friday and tallied again in a 1-0 win over Saint Marys on Sunday.HOUSTON - Indianapolis quarterback Andrew Luck and Texans quarterback Case Keenum both have strong ties to Houston, are in their second year in the NFL, and are starting for their respective teams. Thats where their similarities end. Luck was the first overall pick in the 2012 draft and started from Day 1. Keenum joined the Texans as an undrafted free agent and spent all of last season on the practice squad. Luck has thrown for 1,574 yards and 10 touchdowns. Keenum had 271 yards passing and a touchdown in his only NFL game on Oct. 20. The pair will meet tonight when the AFC South-leading Colts face a Houston team looking to end a five-game skid. Watch the action unfold live on TSN, beginning with Football Night in America at 7pm et/4pm pt. "I think you realize when you go into an NFL locker room, after a certain period of time, it doesnt matter where youre drafted or how you got there," Luck said. "If you get a chance and you play well, thats what matters." Keenum agreed. "Drafted first overall or undrafted, I think, its kind of all put to the side when it comes down to it," Keenum said. Luck went to high school in Houston before attending Stanford. Keenum is from Abilene, Texas and set career NCAA records for yards passing (19,217) and touchdown passes (155) at the University of Houston. Keenum made his NFL debut in Houstons last game filling in for an injured Matt Schaub. The Texans lost 17-16, but coach Gary Kubiak saw enough promise in Keenum to give him another start with Schaub healthy. "I think (hes) growing," Kubiak said. "I liked him or I wouldnt have brought him here in the first place. I think he has all of the physical ability to do what you need to do in this league to be successful." Five things to know about the Colts-Texans game: BANGED-UP BACKS: Houstons top two running backs are dealing with injuries and are questionable. Starter Arian Foster has missed practice this week with a hamstring injury he sustained early in the last game. Backup Ben Tate finished that game despite breaking four ribs in the third quarter. Hes said he expects to play Sunday. Houston signed three running backs on Monday to add depth: rookies Ray Graham and Dennis Johnson, and fourth-yyear player Deji Karim. Nolan Ryan Jersey. Karim played three games for the Colts late last season, mostly on special teams. He had a 101-yard kickoff return for a touchdown last season to help the Colts to a 28-16 win in their last meeting with Houston. REGGIES REPLACEMENT: Sunday will be Indianapolis first game without star receiver Reggie Wayne, who tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his right knee in a win over Denver. With the Pro Bowler out, the Colts will look to 2008 first-round pick Darrius Heyward-Bey and second-year player T.Y. Hilton to pick up the slack. Heyward-Bey has 18 receptions for 190 yards and a touchdown, and Hilton has 27 receptions for 412 yards and two scores. AVOIDING ED: Houstons Ed Reed has just 14 tackles with no interceptions in five games this season, causing some to wonder if he can still be a difference maker at age 35. Coach Chuck Pagano does not have that doubt. Pagano was asked how to account for him. "Dont throw in his direction, first of all," Pagano said. "Wherever hes at, just tell the quarterback, Dont go near him. Thats one way. Thats easier said than done." Reed leads active players with 61 career interceptions and has four against the Colts. MONSTER MATHIS: Indianapolis linebacker Robert Mathis has already tied his career high with 11 1/2 sacks. He reached the mark in both 2005 and 2008. "The second year in (this defence), hes much more comfortable," Pagano said. "Obviously, it was a huge transition a year ago for him, going from a 4-3 end to a stand up outside linebacker. ... Were not surprised that hes putting the numbers up that he is." Mathis has 103 sacks in his 11-year career. Hes had 15 1/2 against Houston, which is the most of any opponent. NO CUSHING: The Texans are trying to regroup after losing star linebacker Brian Cushing to a season-ending knee injury for the second straight year. "Unfortunately, weve been down this road before and some guys will have to step up," Kubiak said. Fourth-year player Darryl Sharpton will take over for Cushing, and Kubiak will look to fellow starting linebackers Joe Mays and Brooks Reed to help make Sharptons transition easier. ___ AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org ' ' '