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                                      MINNEAPOLIS -- The Los Angeles Lakers and Minnesota Timberwolves seemed to be two teams on similar paths; young rosters filled with high draft picks to develop with new coaches. Keith Hernandez Mets Jersey .While Minnesotas youth seemed to be further along and the Timberwolves were considered an upstart team to begin the season, Los Angeles has adapted the quickest with its new pieces gelling under coach Luke Walton.The two teams get their first chance at each other Sunday as each will play the second game of back-to-back situations.The Lakers (6-4) showed their growth again on Saturday night in New Orleans, cruising to a 126-99 victory against the Pelicans. Los Angeles has won five of its past six games.I think our guys love competing, Walton said. I think they feel more challenged in the second half to go get it done. Its almost as if when the game starts, you know we have 48 minutes to get it done. Obviously, we dont want that ... but its a process.Under coach Tom Thibodeau, Minnesota has struggled to open the season, especially on the defensive end. The Timberwolves (2-6) lost at home to the league-leading Los Angeles Clippers 119-105 on Saturday night, giving up 21 fast-break points to Los Angeles and allowing the Clippers to shoot 52.6 percent from the field and make 11 of 24 3-pointers.Right now were not consistent enough, Thibodeau said. We have to build the right habits. Defensively its hard to win when you give up 119 points.Defensive improvement was expected under Thibodeau for a team that has long struggled to stop opponents. The transition is proving to take time. Minnesota has allowed 119 points in two of its past three games. Opponents have scored more than 102 in all but one game.The Timberwolves did get point guard Ricky Rubio back in the lineup on Saturday after he missed five games with a sprained right elbow. Rubio had seven points, six rebounds and six assists in the loss.Im trying to find a rhythm, trying to find how to run the team too, Rubio said. First game back after a couple weeks, just get the rust off.Minnesotas talent has shined at times on the offensive end. The Timberwolves have two players averaging more than 20 points per game in forward Andrew Wiggins (23.8) and center Karl-Anthony Towns (22.1). Guard Zach LaVine was also above the mark before he was held to 15 points on 7 of 15 shooting on Saturday.Wiggins struggled against the Clippers league-best defense on Saturday. He scored 22 points but was constantly harassed and shot just 8 of 24.The Lakers had no trouble shooting Saturday against New Orleans, particularly from Los Angeles guards and bench.Jordan Clarkson scored 23 points and Williams added 21 for the Lakers, who entered the game leading the league with 48.8 points per game from their bench.Me and Lou are going to be real aggressive coming in. Were trying to do a good job of leading this second group, bringing the energy, scoring the ball, pushing the pace, Clarkson told the Associated Press. Coach gave that to us. Thats our role and thats what were going to do.Including starters DeAngelo Russell (22 points) and Nick Young (15), the Lakers backcourt accounted for 81 points on 31-of-51 shooting, including 15 of 25 from 3-point range.We got some great guards -- we got some killers, Russell said. Its up to us to go out there and maintain it and do it every game.Los Angeles rookie Brandon Ingram left Saturdays game with a sprained ankle but told the Associated Press he could have returned if the game was closer.Of course, these are two teams used to integrating high draft picks. Towns was picked No. 1 overall a year ago, one spot ahead of Russell. In 2014, Wiggins was the top pick by Cleveland before being traded to Minnesota. The Lakers took Julius Randle seventh overall.Ingram was this years second pick and the Timberwolves went with Kris Dunn at No. 5. Jed Lowrie Jersey .com) - Rafael Nadal, Andy Murray and Roger Federer were easy first-round winners Tuesday at the Australian Open. Noah Syndergaard Mets Jersey .Y. - Free agent outfielder Jacoby Ellsbury, fresh off winning the World Series with Boston, reached agreement with the rival New York Yankees on a seven-year contract worth about $153 million, a person familiar with the negotiations said Tuesday night. http://www.metsbaseballauthentic.com/mookie-wilson-mets-jersey/ . Varlamov made 33 saves and Ryan OReilly had a goal and scored in the shootout as the Avalanche beat the New Jersey Devils 2-1 on Thursday night. PHILADELPHIA -- Philadelphia 76ers national anthem singer Sevyn Streeter said she was told by the team she could not perform because of her We Matter jersey.She was scheduled to sing before the Sixers season opener against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but said in an interview with The Associated Press late Wednesday she was told she would not sing just minutes before her performance.Id say two minutes before we were about to walk out ... the organization told me that I could not wear my shirt while singing the national anthem at their game, the R&B singer said by phone. I was never given any kind of dress code. I was never asked beforehand to show my wardrobe.The Sixers declined to say why Streeters performance was canceled.The Philadelphia 76ers organization encourages meaningful actions to drive social change. We use our games to bring people together, to build trust and to strengthen our communities. As we move from symbolic gestures to action, we will continue to leverage our platform to positively impact our community, the Sixers said in a statement.The Sixers had a member of their dance team sing the anthem.Streeter has written songs for Chris Brown, Ariana Grande and other stars. In 2013, she had a Top 40 hit with It Wont Stop, a duet with Brown that reached RIAA gold status.The singer, born Amber Denise Streeter, said she was hurt by the NBA teams actions.I was angry, extremely, extremely angry and disappointed and honestly brought to tears by all of it. Jason Vargas Mets Jersey. It broke my heart, she said. Honestly, I was very excited about being able to perform the national anthem. I was really looking forward to that.This isnt the first time the Sixers were brought into a national anthem controversy. A woman performing the national anthem before an NBA preseason game in Miami did so while kneeling at midcourt.Denasia Lawrence opened her jacket just before she started to sing, revealing a Black Lives Matter shirt, then dropped to her left knee and performed the song. She said it was her way of protesting racial oppression.The anthem issue has been a major topic in sports in recent months, starting with the decision by San Francisco 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick to not stand while it is played. Kaepernick cited racial injustice and police brutality among the reasons for his protest, and athletes from many sports -- and many levels, from youth all the way to professional -- have followed his lead in various ways.I also felt it was important to express the ongoing challenges and ongoing injustice we face as a black community within the United States of America -- thats very important to me, Streeter said. Yes, we live in the greatest country in the world but there are issues that we cannot ignore. This cant be ignored.----Mesfin Fekadu reported from New York City. ' ' '