over six innings in an 11-4 win over Los Angeles. It matched the lo

WASHINGTON -- The scoreboard wasnt working at the outset, when there were thousands of empty seats and the fans that did show up were quiet as can be, so the arena announcer pierced the silence Thursday night, telling the small gathering by just how much the mediocre Washington Wizards were trailing the Denver Nuggets, basket after basket.It was kind of, like, a gloomy feel, Denvers Wilson Chandler said.Eventually, the overhead electronic display began functioning, and when Wizards guard Bradley Beals airball led to a shot-clock violation with the hosts already down 12 and proud owners of seven turnovers and two made baskets, the till-then mum spectators mustered the energy to boo the home team.It was that kind of night for the Wizards until the second half, when it became that sort of night for the Nuggets. Washington erased a double-digit deficit and, thanks to Beals 26 points and Denvers season-high 29 turnovers, beat the Nuggets 92-85.Washington is 8-13. The Nuggets lost for the fifth time in six games, dropping to 8-15.This was not a marquee matchup, by any definition, and the atmosphere was apt. The announced attendance was 12,645 -- about 7,000 shy of a sellout. At tipoff, fewer were there. The scoreboard was stuck at 0-0 for several minutes, which kind of bugged us, Beal said.The place had all the verve of a library.You always want that sixth man, that disadvantage to the other squad, Beal said. But at the same time, were all grown men, were all NBA players, this is our job, and at the end of the day, we have to go out there and play the game ... if theres one fan or 30,000.John Wall scored only 15 points one game after a career-best 52, but nine came in the fourth quarter.With starting point guard Emmanuel Mudiay inactive because of a sprained right ankle, and leading rebounder Kenneth Faried on the bench throughout, the Nuggets went 5 1/2 minutes without a point in the fourth quarter. In that period, they had 10 turnovers and shot 1 for 14 on 3-pointers.Washington coach Scott Brooks keeps lamenting no-effort defense from his team, which allowed 124 points in a loss to Orlando on Tuesday.We were disappointed in ourselves last game. All of us, Brooks said. Its only one game, but we did play better defense.Nuggets coach Michael Malone attributed his teams 12-point fourth quarter mainly to fatigue on the second game of a back-to-back.Not taking anything away from their team, I thought a lot of our turnovers were self-inflicted, Malone said, and when you get tired, you start to make mistakes, mental mistakes.TIP-INSNuggets: Nikola Jokic scored 17 points. ... Denver led 22-8 in the first quarter and 52-47 at halftime. ... Previous season-high was 25 turnovers.Wizards: Wall drew a technical foul for hitting Jusuf Nurkic with a forearm in the third quarter. ... Washington is 6-6 at home, 2-7 on the road.DENVERS CHANGESMudiay missed a game for the first time all season. Hes fourth on Denver in scoring (13.1), second in assists (3.8). He went out and tried to warm up before the game, Malone said. Just wasnt feeling right. Farieds minutes, declining recently, went to zero Thursday. By no means is Kenneth Faried out of our rotation or not going to play for us, Malone said.LEADERSHIPAsked who takes care of holding teammates accountable when things dont go well, Wizards F Markieff Morris replied: Wall is the voice and Im like the muscle.UP NEXTNuggets: At Orlando on Saturday night.Wizards: Host Milwaukee on Saturday night. Nike Shoes From China . -- San Francisco 49ers linebacker Ahmad Brooks was fined $15,570 by the NFL on Wednesday for his hit on Saints quarterback Drew Brees last Sunday. Cheap Nike Shoes Wholesale . -- Team after team passed on Andre Ellington in the draft. http://www.nikeshoesfromchina.com/ . -- Matt Rupert scored once in regulation and again in the shootout as the London Knights extended their win streak to nine games by defeating the Owen Sound Attack 4-3 on Friday in Ontario Hockey League action. Authentic Wholesale Nike Shoes .C. -- Kemba Walker and the Charlotte Bobcats got off to a fast start, and the Sacramento Kings were never quite able to catch up. Cheap Authentic Nike Shoes Wholesale . Having already announced that the race will start May 9 with three stages in Northern Ireland and Ireland and finish in Trieste on June 1, the rest of the route was unveiled Monday. ARLINGTON, Texas -- A pair of former Oakland As standouts turned into rotation reclamation projects will try to pitch their clubs into the All-Star break on a winning note Sunday.A few years ago both Minnesotas Tommy Milone and Texas A.J. Griffin were the future of Oaklands rotation. Those days are gone, but both have found new life with their new organizations this year as they head into their start against each other Sunday.Griffin is 3-0 with a 3.06 ERA in his nine starts with Texas. He was 3-0 with a 3.38 ERA before going on the disabled list in early May for six weeks with right shoulder stiffness. Since returning from the DL he has a 3.38 ERA in three starts but has pitched a total of 13 1/3 innings.The right-hander knows he has to pitch deeper into games, especially for a Texas rotation that came into Saturday with a seven-game stretch of no starter pitching more than five innings.Ive tried to be as competitive as I can be and tried to minimize damage, said Griffin, who is coming off a four-inning outing against Boston in which he threw 96 pitches. I pitched out of some situations and it could have been worse. Ive got to try and get some quicker outs and pound the zone. I know what Im capable of doing.While Griffin has been solid when healthy for the Rangers all season, Milone has come on strong recently for a Minnesota that has started to find its stride.The lefty Milone (1-2), who won 25 games while he was a teammate with Griffin in Oakland in 2012 and 2013, is coming off his first win of the season on July 5.dddddddddddd He allowed one run over six innings in an 11-4 win over Los Angeles. It matched the longest start of the year for Milone, who was outrighted after a slow start to the season. But since coming back from Triple A last month, hes made three starts and has allowed one earned run in two of them.Hes helped spark a rotation that came into Saturdays game against Texas 7-3 with a 3.33 ERA over the last 14 games.Its something you want to build on, Minnesota manager Paul Molitor said of the pitching. Were certainly not content by any means. Offensively, weve kind of smoothed out a little bit in terms of fairly comfortable that were going to have a chance to score almost every day. You kind of combine that with the fact that weve gotten the best stretch of starting pitching that weve had all season, and its reflected in winning a few more games here as of late.Both pitchers would like to pitch their team into the break on a winning note too. Theres nothing wrong with having four days off to savor a win.Its huge to be able to take that momentum going into the second half, Griffin said. Weve had a long go, without much time off, we just want to win this one and send us into the break. ' ' '