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(SportsNetwork.com) - The Houston Rockets will put their perfect record on the line tonight in their stiffest test to date, a home battle with the defending NBA champion San Antonio Spurs. Later, two of the Western Conferences postseason teams from a season ago tangle early in this campaign when the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Dallas Mavericks to the Moda Center. Both games can be seen on TSN2 beginning with the Rockets vs. Suprs at 8pm et/5pm pt. The Rockets can become the leagues first 6-0 team with a victory on Thursday. The Memphis Grizzlies and Golden State Warriors are also perfect in the early part of this campaign. Houston is supremely confident and should be against the Spurs. The Rockets swept the season series in 2013-14 and have won seven of the last nine at home versus the defending champs. The Rockets reached 5-0 in their toughest challenge before Thursday, toppling the previously undefeated Miami Heat, 108-91, in South Beach on Tuesday night. James Harden was a rebound shy of a triple-double, tallying 25 points and 10 assists for the Rockets. We showed tremendous confidence, especially in the fourth quarter, said Harden. We got stops when we needed to. Dwight Howard posted 26 points and 10 boards and Trevor Ariza nailed five 3- pointers and netted 19 points for Houston, which is off to its first 5-0 start since opening 6-0 during the 1996-97 season. Patrick Beverley returned from a two-game absence due to a hamstring injury and scored 15 points. The Rockets started the season against relative NBA lightweights, but the level rose with the four-time defending Eastern Conference champions. It gets even higher versus the NBA champions. Im happy with our progress, but were not satisfied, Howard said after the Miami victory. Weve got a tough game with San Antonio. We have to be ready for our next opponent. The Spurs were well-rested for their home tilt with the Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday. San Antonio had only played twice early in the campaign and it showed some rust, but escaped with a 94-92 win. You can make the argument on both sides, was there rust there, or is it good to get rest? opined Duncan. Luckily, we got the win and well build on that. With the score tied with 13.6 seconds remaining, Manu Ginobili drove the lane and kicked to the corner, but was fouled with 3.8 ticks on the clock. He buried a pair of free throws, then Boris Diaw blocked a last-second heave to allow the Spurs to survive. We need to be sharper, execute better, and today we just didnt, said Ginobili. Ginobili scored seven of his 12 points on Wednesday at the foul line. Duncan and Tony Parker each finished with 17 points, with the former grabbing 13 rebounds with six blocks, four assists and three steals. Kawhi Leonard and Diaw each scored 11 points in the win. Tiago Splitter returned from a calf injury, then left because he felt tightness in the area. His availability for Thursday night is undetermined. Mavericks and Blazers battle in Portland Two of the Western Conferences postseason teams from a season ago tangle early in this campaign when the Portland Trail Blazers welcome the Dallas Mavericks to the Moda Center. Theyre a great team, Mavs coach Rick Carlisle said. Theyre a playoff team, and theyre a different team than what weve seen with the quality of their big men and their 3-point shooting ability straight across the board. Its a tough matchup, and thats always a very difficult place to play. The Mavs begin this mini road trip on a roll, winning three straight and vaulting into the league lead in scoring at 111.8 ppg. Dallas will also visit the Utah Jazz on Friday before returning home. The Mavericks reached 3-1 Monday night with a 118-113 victory at home over the Boston Celtics. Chandler Parsons scored 29 points on 10-of-15 shooting, but the Mavs nearly squandered a 26-point lead. Jeff Green and Avery Bradley fueled the Celtics comeback, totaling 35 and 32 points, respectively. Bradley had a chance to tie things at the free throw line with 39.5 seconds to go but only made two of his three attempts. Monta Ellis, after fouling Bradley behind the arc, ended Bostons 9-0 run with a tough runner off the glass to give Dallas a 116-113 lead. He made two more free throws to seal the win. They are scrappy and you know that they are going to continue to fight back, Mavs center Tyson Chandler said of the Celtics. Dirk Nowitzki netted 27 points with seven rebounds while Ellis added 14 points for the Mavs. Chandler posted a double-double with 10 points and 12 boards, while Devin Harris managed 12 points. The Mavs shot 53.7 percent from the floor and 56 percent from long range. The Blazers got back on track Tuesday night. They halted a two-game slide with an emphatic statement game, a 101-82 home victory over LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Needless to say, it was good to get a win, said Trail Blazers coach Terry Stotts. But more importantly, it was how we got it, how we played. That looked like the team that we need to be. We withstood their barrage in the first quarter, stayed with our schemes and our coverages and the next 3 1/2 quarters, we did a great job defensively. We stuck with the defense and we got rhythm to the offense. It was a solid win at both ends of the court. The Cavs opened the game 10-for-10 from the field, but tailed off offensively. Cleveland never posted 20 points in the remaining three quarters and finished the contest with 13 points over the final 12 minutes. Damian Lillard busted out of his shooting slump with 27 points. He went 6- for-13 from the field, 5-for-10 from long range and 10-for-10 from the foul line. Its the same game that Ive been playing, said Lillard. The only difference was the shots just went in. It was pretty simple: just play the game. I thought we did a great job of moving the ball and everybody defended well. Wes Matthews (21), Robin Lopez (19) and LaMarcus Aldridge (16) finished in double figures. The Blazers also held the fabled James to just 11 points. The Mavs won two of three against the Blazers last season and have captured 10 of the last 15 meetings. Dallas is 12-6 in its last 18 in Rose City. Marcus Allen Jersey . Lynn was tied for 16th entering the fourth round, six shots behind leader Paul Waring. He started with two birdies and added three more on his last five holes at the Oceanico Victoria course for an 18-under total of 266. Custom Oakland Raiders Jerseys . -- Brendan Leipsic had two goals and an assist and Nicolas Petan extended his point streak to 11 games as the Portland Winterhawks slipped past the Red Deer Rebels 5-4 on Saturday in Western Hockey League action. http://www.authenticraiderspro.com/John-matuszak-raiders-jersey/ .com) - The New York Islanders will try to solve their issues against Central Division opponents when they visit the Minnesota Wild for Tuesdays battle at Xcel Energy Center. Otis Sistrunk Jersey . It certainly isnt a coincidence that Dwight Howard has scored at least 20 points in each game of the winning streak. Kenny Stabler Jersey . The CFL unveiled its 2014 schedule Wednesday and the Redblacks will play their first-ever regular-season game in Winnipeg against the Blue Bombers on July 3.DENVER - DeMarcus Cousins was bleeding from somewhere and grew more and more frustrated as he struggled to pinpoint the source.He checked his arms for a cut in the locker room after the game, his chest for a scratch and his legs for a slice before finally figuring it out — his nose was dripping blood.It was that sort of physical contest.Darren Collison scored 21 points, including three free throws in the final 16.2 seconds, in a contest that featured 63 fouls as the Sacramento Kings held off the Denver Nuggets 110-105 on Monday night.We willed our way to this win, said Cousins, who had 19 points and five rebounds. We played pretty tough tonight. We grinded this win out.The Kings are off to a 3-1 start for the first time since 2010-11. Impressive wins, too. They beat Portland on Halloween. Then, they knocked off the Clippers in Los Angeles on Sunday and turned around to outhustle the Nuggets on the second night of a back-to-back.This is definitely a confidence booster going forward, Collison said.Early on, the Kings couldnt find any sort of offensive rhythm, missing shot after shot after shot.In years past, that mightve led someone to take it upon their shoulders to shoot the team out of the slump.Not this version of the Kings. Not through four games, anyway. When times have turned tough, theyve stayed the course.Everybody is saying, Play through it, fellas. Were going to get through this, Cousins said. Everybody has that mindset, so well be able to handle (tough) situations. Thats a good sign.The Nuggets had seven players in double figures, led by Arron Afflalo and JaVale McGee with 16 points apiece. Wilson Chandler scored 12 of his 14 in the fourth quarter.The difference in this game was at the free throw line, where the Kings made 40 of 47.They shot too many free throws, Darrell Arthur said. We have to do a better job without fouling.Tied at 96, Ray McCallum drove past the Denver defence for a layup with 3:18 remaining to give the Kings a lead they wouldnt relinquish.Chandler pullled the Nuggets close when he was fouled by Omri Casspi on a 3-point attempt with 25.dddddddddddd6 seconds left. Chandler made all three to make it 105-103. Thats as close as the Nuggets would get as Rudy Gay followed with two free throws.Denver tried to cover Cousins by sending a wave of big men at him, but he helped get Timofey Mozgov, McGee and Jusuf Nurkic all in foul trouble. Cousins was coming off a 34-point, 17-rebound performance against the Clippers.The Nuggets went with Chandler at small forward instead of Danilo Gallinari, whos still working his way back from a knee injury that sidelined him for 18 months.Gallinari remains on a strict minutes restriction and played just 14:01. He was 0 for 6 from the field.Got to get Gallo going, try to find a rhythm for him, so he can see the ball go through the basket, Nuggets coach Brian Shaw said. Get him going and get his confidence up.UNHAPPY BIRTHDAYShaw issued a challenge to Ty Lawson on his 27th birthday — score 27 points. Not for the game, but by halftime.Lawson fell way short, missing all five of his shots from the field in the first half. He did hit 5 of 6 free throws.Shaws trying to get Lawson to be more assertive, even giving him free reign with the offence. Lawson finished with nine points and 12 assists.Not a great way to celebrate my birthday, Lawson said.TIP-INSKings: Jason Thompson had 10 rebounds in just over 23 minutes. ... Reggie Evans had 14 rebounds. Its the 70th time in his career hes had 14 or more rebounds.Nuggets: The Nuggets started Chandler over Gallinari at small forward with an eye toward Friday when Cleveland comes to town. Shaw doesnt want Gallinari guarding LeBron James. It will be better for us to have Wilson starting out with that matchup and letting the offence run through Gallo with the second unit, Shaw explained. ... Kenneth Faried picked up a technical in the first quarter for arguing a call. He finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.UP NEXTKings: Host the Nuggets on Wednesday. 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