nders in low-key tournaments to favorites in top tier qu

Everything was set up for a great start to the home schedule. The Denver Nuggets led Portland by two points in the final seconds Oct. 29, and one more stop would give them a 2-0 record and a win in their home opener.A defensive breakdown led to Damian Lillards wide-open layup to send it into overtime and the Trail Blazers went on to win and spoil the night for Denver fans.Nearly eight weeks later, the Nuggets have a chance to exact revenge when the teams meet Thursday night at Pepsi Center.Both teams are trying to reverse a downturn to their seasons. The Blazers (13-14) got a big win against Oklahoma City on Tuesday to end a four-game losing streak while Denver (9-16) had one of its worst outings in a blowout loss in Dallas on Monday.Portland held Thunder superstar Russell Westbrook in check in the 114-95 victory Tuesday, building some important momentum before heading to Denver.I think our minds was right, Damian Lillard told The Oregonian. We knew we needed to come in and get a win (before) going back on the road again.The Trail Blazers face a team struggling to save its season just a quarter of the way through the schedule. The Nuggets lost eight of their last 11, none more disappointing than the 112-92 loss in Dallas to wrap up a six-game road trip. The Mavericks, despite having the fewest wins in the NBA, dominated the game. They scored 65 in the first half against a seemingly non-existent Denver defense.Our one-on-one defense is pathetic right now, Nuggets coach Michael Malone told The Denver Post. We dont take pride in it. We allow guys just to back us down and score way too easy.The defense might get a boost against Portland. Guard Gary Harris may return after missing the last 16 games with a foot injury. He missed 20 games overall with the foot and groin injuries and said Wednesday he has a pretty good chance of playing against the Trail Blazers.His return bolsters the perimeter defense, but how much he plays is a question. He has been out since Nov. 12 and conditioning is an issue. However, having to go against the backcourt of Lillard and C.J. McCollum, the Nuggets can use all available bodies against the Trail Blazers.For Portland, a sixth straight win against Denver will help it get pointed in the right direction. The win over the first-place Thunder was nice, but the Trail Blazers want to get some momentum going before heading to Golden State on Saturday night.Portland should know by Thursday if it will have forward Al-Farouq Aminu back. He was a late scratch against Oklahoma City with a sore back initially hurt against Memphis last week, and with the Trail Blazers having played Monday the quick turnaround prompted him to be in street clothes.The Trail Blazers may not need him against the Nuggets, who are struggling with ball security and consistency. If Denver wants to make a serious run at its first playoff berth in four years, it has to start at home Thursday.You just throw this one out the window, Emmanuel Mudiay told The Denver Post after Mondays loss. We played horrible. ... But we got to let this one go and try to move forward in a positive way. Ronald Acuna Jr. Jersey . - Goaltender Philippe Desrosiers of the Rimouski Oceanic has broken a shutout record that was only three months old in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League. Matt Joyce Jersey . Burris threw two TD passes, including a key 15-yard fourth-quarter strike to Bakari Grant that effectively countered a Toronto comeback bid and led Hamilton to a 33-19 victory. http://www.baseballbravesproshop.com/bobby-cox-braves-jersey/ . NBA officials ruled the court unplayable in the Bucks final exhibition game on Oct. 25 because players were slipping, and the game was cancelled midway through the first period. Bobby Cox Jersey . Burke is expected to miss two to three months after breaking a finger in the teams third preseason game. Tinsley, a 10-year veteran, spent the last two seasons in Utah, where the point guard averaged 3. Dansby Swanson Braves Jersey . However, he did make them miss him a little less. Cundiff, who had the unenviable job of replacing Dawson last season, agreed Thursday to a one-year, $1. The Summit 5 kicks off this week on July 13, providing an early look at the state of the competitive scene before The International 6 in Seattle, Washington. As one of the last LANs before the Valves global event, every match will be scrutinized, picked apart and analyzed. Eight teams will clash for a prize pool of over $100,000. But more than just some prize money, The Summit 5 will provide an opportunity for players to get some much-needed practice and shake out the nerves before Seattle.Heres our ranking of where each team stands, coming into the fifth Summit.1. OGWhat else is there to say? Two-time Major champions OG look like a team at the peak of its game. With back-to-back victories against the contenders for the throne, Team Liquid, OG continues to amaze with each match. Though Amer Miracle- Barqawi tends to be the star player, every member of this team has stepped up in recent matches, including Johan N0tail Sundstein in the one-role carry. A third face-off between Liquid and OG is likely to happen at The Summit 5, and OG will look to maintain its throne atop the Dota 2 scene.2. Team LiquidIts easy to forget that Liquid have yet to win a Major given the level of its performances in the last six months. Since the Shanghai Major, its faced the unfortunate fate of being knocked out by the eventual winners in a number of tournaments. Recently, the team has sought to diversify its picks in an effort to avoid becoming too predictable. Having lost its two most recent series against OG, its Liquids turn to strike back.3. FnaticDespite all previous versions of Fnatic being built around Chai Mushi Yee Fung and Chong Xin Ohaiyo Khoo, the two veterans now play a secondary role in the current roster. Zheng Midone Yeik Nai and Djardel DJ Mampusti are the stars of the show now and the addition of Adam 343 Shah means the team can finally stabilize its drafts. Fnatic have made a habit of proving critics wrong this year, showing it can indeed perform on LAN and take on the biggest teams from every region. All thats left is to overcome the final boss and take home a LAN championship.4. Wings GamingThere is no team more entertaining to watch right now than Wings. The infamous meta-breakers are as exciting as they are inconsistent. With a disappointing Manila showing punctuated by two dominant appearances in China afterwards, its hard to tell which Wings will show up in Los Angeles. Manila was a wake-up call for the team. Look to Chhu Shadow Zeyu in the hard carry role and the character pool of support player Li iceice Peng to create opportunities for Wings to take games and secure a solid showing at The Summit.dddddddddddd.5. Digital ChaosA difficult team to evaluate, Digital Chaos have become regional giants in the last two months but have only competed in two LAN events so far. To its credit, one of those LANs was the Manila Major, and the team placed in the top half of its group. Rasmus MiSeRy Filipsens wealth of experience has proven to be a major asset to the team, providing enormous depth to its drafting ability. The only team attending Nanyang, The Summit 5 and Starladder on its road to TI6, Digital Chaos have the opportunity to gain a lot of momentum.6. Natus VincereThe NaVi is back train has been a roller coaster. Danil Dendi Ishutin and his motley crew have a lot of doubters to dispel. This team will always be a hometown favorite no matter where it goes, but some subpar performances have many questioning whether NaVi can rise out of the middle of the pack and into the upper stratum of teams. Dmitry Ditya Ra Minenkov will need to tow the rope a little harder, as each game cant rest on Dendis shoulders alone.7. Ad FinemThe Greek squad have shown enormous growth over the last year, from being middle of the pack contenders in low-key tournaments to favorites in top tier qualifiers. Unfortunately, its developed a habit of failing at the final hurdle. With its TI dreams recently shattered, Ad Finems resolve will be tested at the Summit, with the team needing to stay motivated despite missing out on the event of the year. Continued determination could see Ad Finem upsetting some of the best teams at the event and making a run for a top spot. This could be its own version of TI6.8. FDLAfter being spurned by Complexity for a spot at TI6, it might not seem like FDL have much to gain here besides prize money. A truly talented team that was just barely edged out, it might say more about the level of talent present at The Summit that FDL is ranked the lowest. Some quality wins would gain back some momentum, and possibly quiet whispers of shifts or changes during the post-TI6 shuffle. This is a dark horse if there ever was one, and dont be surprised to see FDL make some teams work a lot harder for that W than others would. ' ' '