LeBron James fought back tears. Former President Bill Clinton offered condolences. Craig Sager’s daughter tweeted that she was ”just sick” over the news.

Such is the regard that so many Youth DJ Chark Jersey , from so many walks of life, have for San Antonio Spurs coach Gregg Popovich, whose 67-year-old wife, Erin, died Wednesday after a long battle with a respiratory problem.

Spurs star Manu Ginobili says the team is ”devastated, we are all hurting.” But the players will ”go out there and compete” and respect Popovich’s philosophy of playing with ”fire” and ”determination.”

Added San Antonio’s Tony Parker: ”It puts everything in perspective. It’s way bigger than basketball.”

The Spurs trail the Golden State Warriors 3-0 in the first round after losing in San Antonio 110-97 on Thursday night. The 69-year-old coach ran practice Wednesday but was not on the sideline for the game. Assistant Ettore Messina coached the team.

Clinton reached out on Twitter to the coach and his daughters: ”I join the NBA family and countless fans across the country who are thinking of you, Jill, and Micky tonight as you mourn the loss of your Erin.”

The Spurs asked the media to respect the family’s privacy. General manager RC Buford said at Thursday’s shootaround he spoke to Popovich, who is ”overwhelmed by the support” but ”wants our focus to be about the game.”

”Erin and Gregg were best friends who were together for 40 years, and Erin’s impact and influence on our organization, on our families, on our players and their families will be felt for years to come,” Buford said.

Popovich has been a mentor to countless players and coaches, never afraid to speak out on social issues or rebuff a wayward question from a reporter. His humor is sharp, and just the other day he was the one in the film room who shouted ”Go Warriors!”

Warriors coach Steve Kerr is one of those mentored by Popovich, and he knows the family well Cheap Taven Bryan Jersey , having played for the Spurs in the late 1990s before being traded by Popovich.

”Erin was sort of the balance that Pop needed,” Kerr said with a laugh. ”She was part of the family, but she’s dealt with a lot over the last few years health-wise and has been very courageous.”

Warriors star Stephen Curry tweeted that he is ”lifting up prayers” for the coach and his family.

Ginobili had to contain tears at the shootaround.

”We all know the type of guy Pop is,” he said. ”Not many people know the type of gal that Erin was. It’s painful and having to go through this is always tough. There is never a good time.

”We want to be next to Pop, we want to support him, but we’ve got to go out there and compete today. But, for sure, we are toiling. It’s not an easy day to be here.”

After Popovich ran practice Wednesday, Ginobili and Parker spent time with the coach that evening.

”She was a great lady,” Parker said. ”I always thought of them like a dad and a mom, everybody knows that. He was always very private, but I had an opportunity to see him in a different way.”

Kacy Sager was heartsick because of the bond her late father shared with the coach. When the longtime broadcaster returned to his TNT job in 2015 after treatment for the leukemia that ultimately took his life, Popovich granted an interview if for no other reason than to welcome Sager back.

”Pop went out of his way to make sure our family knew we had his support when my father passed. … I hope the Popovich family are also able to find strength in all of the love this community has to give,” Sager wrote on Twitter.

James was visibly upset by the ”devastating news” after Game 2 of the Cavaliers-Pacers series.

”The NBA family, we all stick together,” James told TNT. ”I know we compete every night. But something like this happens Ryan McLeod Oilers Jersey , it puts everything in perspective.”

Popovich has coached San Antonio since 1996, leading the Spurs to five NBA titles. He also is the U.S. Olympic team coach.

James calls him a ”mastermind of the game” and has said he’d consider playing for the U.S. under Popovich at the 2020 Tokyo Games after skipping the Rio Olympics.

Other NBA greats expressed their grief on Twitter – Bill Russell, Magic Johnson and Kobe Bryant among them. Steve Nash wrote: ”Knowing Pop, it’s fair to assume Erin Popovich was an absolute legend.”

Popovich met his wife at the Air Force Academy in the 1970s when he was an assistant coach for the Falcons. Erin’s father, Jim Conboy, was Air Force’s head athletic trainer.

Former Spurs assistant and current Philadelphia coach Brett Brown said he’s known Erin a long time.

”Their family has been incredibly kind to my family,” he said. ”And she was a star, like a real star. A very strong woman, and somebody that will be missed.”

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AP freelancer Raul Dominguez contributed to this report.

The Winnipeg Jets were in rhythm and the Vegas Golden Knights looked rusty.

Or, maybe the Jets are just that good.

Dustin Byfuglien scored about a minute after the puck dropped and Winnipeg built a three-goal lead early in the first period and went on to beat Vegas 4-2 on Saturday night in Game 1 of the Western Conference finals.

While the Jets played at home less than 48 hours after advancing past top-seeded Nashville on the road, the Golden Knights were off for nearly a week after eliminating San Jose in the second round.

”We didn’t have much of a rest,” Byfuglien said. ”We’re still in game mode.”

Patrik Laine and Joel Armia had goals 46 seconds apart to put the Jets up 3-0. Mark Scheifele gave Winnipeg a 4-1 lead midway on a power play through the second period with his 12th goal this postseason.

Brayden McNabb scored midway through the first and William Karlsson had a power-play goal late in the second period to pull Vegas within two, but the expansion team couldn’t get closer.

”We were chasing the game all night,” Golden Knights coach Gerard Gallant said.

Winnipeg’s Connor Hellebuyck made 18 saves.

Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 22 shots for the Golden Knights, whose Stanley Cup-winning goalie has given up at least three goals for the fifth time in six games.

”He’s the best goalie in the playoffs as far as I’m concerned,” Gallant said.

Fleury and the Golden Knights will have to be at Cheap Sam Hubbard Jersey , or near, their best when the Jets host Game 2 on Monday night before the series shifts to Las Vegas.

”Next game, no excuses,” Golden Knights center Jonathan Marchessault said. ”Everybody needs to come and be ready to play our best game of the playoffs.

”We’re going to show what kind of team we are.”

Winnipeg, which is making its deepest playoff run in franchise history, started strong and fast. Vegas, meanwhile, didn’t appear anything like the team that took the league by storm in its record-breaking inaugural season.

The Jets’ fast, deep and talented team had 114 points this season and trailed only the Predators’ league-high total by three points. Their success has carried over into the postseason, winning all three Game 1s and avoiding trailing a series.

The hard-charging, smooth-passing Jets put the Pacific Division champions on their heels right from the start and didn’t relent.

”We did take advantage of being game ready,” Winnipeg coach Paul Maurice said.

White-clad, towel-twirling raucous fans in the arena – and packed on surrounding streets – were fired up before the game started. And, they were given plenty of opportunities to celebrate in the opening minutes.

Byfuglien’s slap shot 1:05 into the game off a drop pass from Scheifele put Winnipeg up 1-0. That ignited the party-like atmosphere in a relatively cozy arena with just 16,345 seats and a low ceiling.

”That was huge for us,” Jets center Paul Stastny said. ”Early in the game Darius Leonard Color Rush Jersey , too. And then all of the sudden it gave life to everyone, everyone on the bench, the crowd.”

Fleury had no shot to stop Laine’s one-timer from the left circle off Wheeler’s cross-ice pass on a power play at the 6:49 mark of the first. Armia had a goal waved off less than a minute later only to have it restored by a challenge, which overturned the goaltender interference call on the ice.

”Sometimes getting your legs a little bit under you takes a few minutes here and they took advantage of it,” Fleury said.

After the flurry of goals early, the Jets were able to play conservatively to cut down on Vegas’ comeback chances.

”We were getting the puck deep,” Scheifele said. ”We weren’t fooling around with it in the neutral zone.”

The Golden Knights pulled Fleury to add an extra skater late in the game, but had to put him back on the ice because there was a faceoff near him. They sent him to the bench again and had some chances to pull within one, but the shot-blocking Jets didn’t let the puck get to Hellebuyck much.

NOTES: The last time two teams were in the NHL conference finals for the first time was 2003 when Anaheim swept Minnesota. … Scheifele has four more goals than any player still in the postseason. … Fleury, a former Pittsburgh Penguin, has four shutouts this postseason and has allowed four goals in three games.

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Follow Larry Lage at .