). Lester allowed a season-high eight runs in a career). Lester allowed a season-high eight runs in a career | Forum

Two struggling teams square off when the Philadelphia 76ers host the Denver Nuggets on Monday night. Marcus Allen Youth Jersey .The Sixers (4-16) have lost six straight games, while the Nuggets (7-13) have dropped five of six.Weve got to get a W, Denver guard Will Barton gold Nuggets.com after the team opened a six-game road trip with a 105-98 loss to Utah on Saturday. Weve just got to find a way to put a complete game together.Denvers defense is of particular concern. One night after Houston shot 50.6 percent from the floor and nailed 17 3-pointers in a 128-110 victory over the Nuggets, Utahs Gordon Hayward matched his season high of 32 points, 21 coming in a third quarter that saw the Jazz outscore Denver 33-16 to open an 82-63 lead.The first half and the fourth quarter, the defense was obviously there, but weve got to do it for four quarters, forward Wilson Chandler told Nuggets.com. Weve got to be able to guard the ball one-on-one.Chandler, who comes off the bench, has scored 20 points or more in four of the past five games and leads the team with an average of 18.5 a night. Veteran forward Danilo Gallinari is averaging 16.8, and guard Emmanuel Mudiay checks in at 14.Denver is allowing 109.5 points a game, fourth-most in the league. The Sixers are surrendering 107.8 points a night, which is sixth-most.Philadelphia battled Boston on even terms Saturday night, only to see Celtics guard Isaiah Thomas explode for 13 of his 37 points in the fourth quarter of a 107-106 Boston victory. Thomas became the fifth point guard this season to score 30 or more against the Sixers.You see it time and time again with some people who come through our building, Sixers coach Brett Brown said, and you saw it again tonight. We give him credit. Hes hard to guard.Brown was heartened, at least, by the fact that his team put up a fight, after a poor effort in Fridays 105-88 loss to Orlando.This group has a character I respect, he said, in that they reload after laying eggs.He was further encouraged by the performance of rookie forward Dario Saric, who matched his career highs of 21 points and 12 rebounds. Brown said Saric, who began the night averaging 8.7 points on 36.6-percent shooting, was a man down there (in the low post) while playing his best game to date.The last five, six games, my confidence was really low, Saric said. This game, when you get the first easy basket or (play) good defense, after that its easier playing.The Sixers rested rookie center Joel Embiid and were without forward Robert Covington (knee) and guard Jerryd Bayless (wrist). Brown said its up in the air as to whether any of the three will play Monday.Denver center Nikola Jokic has missed the last two games with a sprained left wrist and guard Gary Harris has missed the last 11 with a foot injury. Neither is expected to play Monday. Christian Okoye Chiefs Jersey . The defending champion beat Gael Monfils of France 7-6 (6), 6-3, while second-seeded Andy Murray of Britain dispatched Edouard Roger-Vasselin, also of France, 6-3, 6-3. Making his first appearance since injuring his wrist a month ago, Del Potro had difficulty with his service games in the first set. Harrison Butker Womens Jersey .Y. -- Bills receiver Stevie Johnson has a bone to pick with the NFL schedule maker. http:///...nders-chiefs-jersey/ . The Clippers were angry about blowing a big lead; the Kings didnt like being in that kind of hole and nearly digging themselves out only to lose. CHICAGO -- The Chicago Cubs came out of the All-Star break showing signs that their midseason skid is done.Right-hander John Lackey pitched well enough Sunday to end his own winless streak, except he ran into Cole Hamels at a park where he has some strong recent history.Lackey allowed four runs and six hits in eight innings, but Hamels dominated for eight innings in his first game at Wrigley Field since throwing a no-hitter at the famed ballpark a year ago to help the Texas Rangers beat the Cubs 4-1.Lackeys winless streak reached seven starts, and he is 14-16 in 41 starts against Texas, the team hes faced most often in his career.I was honestly pretty happy about the way I threw the ball, Lackey (7-6) said. Threw eight innings and definitely not a good day to pitch.Hamels (10-2) struck out his first six batters. He fanned seven overall and gave up just an unearned run on four hits.Last summer, the lefty threw a no-hitter and struck out 13 at Wrigley in his final start for Philadelphia. He was then traded to the Rangers.Sundays win gave AL West-leading Texas its first victory since the All-Star break after it dropped two straight to the Cubs. Texas had lost four consecutive overall.I got 10 days of rest. You get a whole week of rest, I guess that helps, Hamels said. I know its the second half, want to start off right. This is now the go time.Sam Dyson struck out three in the ninth for his 19th save in 21 chances.Ian Desmond homered and Robinson Chirinos drove in two runs for Texas. The Cubs had won three in a row since dropping nine of 10.Hamels fanned the side in the first two innings. The streak ended when Matt Szczur popped out and Albert Almora Jr. reached on third baseman Adrian Beltres error in the third. Javier Baez doubled home a run.He likes Wrigley, doesnt he? Cubs manager Joe Maddon said of Hamels. The way he started out, it looks like, here we go all over again. And then we started putting the ball in play. We just didnt really have any hard contact consistently, but he was good.Elvis Andrus RBI single and Chirinos sacrifice fly put the Rangers ahead in the seccond. Patrick Mahomes Youth Jersey. Almora made a leaping catch in center field to rob Chirinos of extra bases.Chirinos hit an RBI double after Lackey walked the first two batters in the fourth.Desmond led off the eighth with his 16th home run.The Cubs got back-to-back singles to start the bottom of the seventh before a double play and groundout ended the rally.Lackey argued with home plate umpire Cory Blaser after the top of the sixth before right fielder Jason Heyward got between them. Maddon then addressed Blaser. Lackey declined to go into details of the chat.Theyre talking about Christmas cards for next year, Maddon joked. Just let John vent a little bit. Hes fine.TRAINERS ROOMRangers: OF Shin-Soo Choo (back) was out of the lineup for a third straight game, but manager Jeff Banister said the team isnt considering putting him on the disabled list just yet. It still seems to bother him when hes throwing, Banister said. ... RHP Kyle Lohse (strained oblique) threw a pain-free bullpen session Saturday. Banister expects him to start Tuesday at the Angels.GOOD BREAKCubs RHP Jake Arrieta didnt pitch in Tuesdays All-Star Game -- and the rest was just what he needed, he said. The reigning NL Cy Young Award winner has allowed 10 runs in 11 1/3 innings in July.Sometimes you need that mental down time, said Arrieta, who is scheduled to start Tuesday against the Mets. Spending time with (son) Cooper and my family was tremendous. I picked up the ball for the first time in four or five days and threw the best `pen Ive thrown all year.UP NEXTRangers: RHP A.J. Griffin (3-1, 3.81 ERA) is scheduled to start Mondays opener of a three-game series at the Angels, who are expected to start RHP Nick Tropeano (3-2, 3.12).Cubs: LHP Jon Lester (9-4, 3.01) is scheduled to start Mondays opener of a three-game set against the visiting Mets and LHP Steven Matz (7-5, 3.38). Lester allowed a season-high eight runs in a career-low 1 1/3 innings in his other start against New York this season. Wholeslae Jerseys NFL Jerseys Cheap Wholesale NBA Jerseys Cheap NHL Jerseys Cheap MLB Jerseys Wholesale Soccer Jerseys Cheap College Jerseys Cheap Football Jerseys Cheap Basketball Jerseys Cheap Baseball Jerseys ' ' '