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WASHINGTON -- Neither the Denver Nuggets nor Washington Wizards will enter Thursdays first head-to-head matchup feeling upbeat.The Nuggets (8-14) lost 116-111 Wednesday night on the road to a five-win Brooklyn Nets. At least Denver can take pride in rallying from a 29-point deficit as they outscored Brooklyn 48-24 over the final 17:56. Despite that late effort and closing within 111-109 with 16.9 seconds, the Nuggets lost for the fourth time in five games.I told our team at halftime that Brooklyn was on pace for 84 points in the paint, which just shows signs of no resistance, no fight, Denver coach Mike Malone said. But I tell you, I am proud of our guys, getting down by 29 points and cutting it to three or four, whatever it was late. We got a couple of good shots that just didnt go down for us but we didnt roll over. Twenty-nine points didnt become 50 and Im happy about that.There was anything but happiness for the Wizards (7-13) following Tuesdays 124-116 loss to the Orlando Magic. John Wall scored a career-high 52 points, but had little help most of the game. The real issues for Washington, which has lost three of four, came defensively. The Magic set a season high for points in the win.Not even just defensive effort, just playing hard, Wall said. Our job is to wake up and just play hard. Before you made it to the NBA or got a college scholarship, you played hard to get where you wanted to get to. To still be talking about playing hard. ... Thats the easiest thing. Shouldnt have to do with any contracts or any money. Just come in and play basketball.Asked why that isnt happening, Wall said, I dont know. If I had the answers we wouldnt be in this situation right now.Orlando shot 51.8 percent overall from the field, 12 of 26 from beyond the arc and led by as many as 20 points.We have to be able to sustain a sense of urgency possession by possession, Brooks continued. It was spotty at best. Until we do that, were going to put ourselves in a bad position.Wilson Chandler led the Nuggets with 27 points against the Nets. He also led the comeback, which began soon after Malone was ejected for arguing a foul with an official as Denver trailed by 21 points midway through the third quarter.When he got ejected, that was the plan, to try to get something going, Chandler said. We were down. There was nothing happening and I think that kind of lit a fire under us.Led by Chandler, the Nuggets bench scored 70 points against the Nets, which is three less than the 73 the Magics second unit scored against Wizards.Denver averaged 116.5 points during a two-game sweep over Washington last season. Eden Hazard Belgium Jersey . To the surprise of many, it isnt the Wolverines but their in-state rivals the Michigan State Spartans. Koen Casteels Jersey . The 29-year-old from Port Colborne, Ont., has nothing but good things to say about former U.S. marine Liz (Girlrilla) Carmouche ahead of their co-main event Wednesday on the UFCs "Fight for the Troops" televised card in Fort Campbell, Ky. http://www.soccerbelgiumteamonline.com/Yannick-Carrasco-UEFA-European-Belgium-Jersey/ . -- Nathan Pancel scored twice as the Sudbury Wolves defeated the North Bay Battalion 4-2 on Saturday in Ontario Hockey League action. Thomas Vermaelen Jersey . Jordan Lynch, the all-purpose Heisman Trophy finalist from Northern Illinois, failed to make it into that exclusive club. Leander Dendoncker Belgium Jersey . In taking its goal tally to 99 in all competitions already this season, City delivered another demonstration of its lethal firepower at Etihad Stadium to set up a fourth-round match at home to another second-tier team -- Watford. ST. PAUL, Minn. -- The Minnesota Wild sharpened their game late against the St. Louis Blues and kept up an impressive recent stretch.Matt Dumba, Nino Niederreiter and Mikael Granlund scored, Devan Dubnyk made 22 saves and Minnesota held on to beat the Blues 3-1 on Sunday night for their fourth straight win.I think thats nine out of 10 games that weve gotten points in, Wild coach Bruce Boudreau said. I thought that was our best third period of the year. We had a one-goal lead and I thought we didnt give them anything. That is the way we play when were playing really good. Thats a positive thing. I hope theyre starting to believe theyre a good team.Dumba scored for the second straight game in the second period and Niederreiter got his eighth goal about seven minutes later. Granlund added an empty-net goal.Dubnyk is 6-0-2 in his last eight games, posting a 1.69 goals-against average and .941 save percentage since Nov. 23.Thats important to just get that feeling, get that good feeling going, Dubnyk said. When you can approach every game and feel good about what the outcomes going to be and how were going to play, thats how you get on these streaks. These streaks are important when the schedule gets tough at the end of the year.Vladimir Tarasenko scored his 14th goal of the season for St. Louis. Jake Allen stopped 22 shots for the Blues, who had won five of their past seven games.All these games are right there, but were not getting a big enough push back against these teams that really check hard, St. Louis coach Ken Hitchcock said. They checked hard. We really checked them hard, but as the game wore they started to get a little bit control of it.After a scoreless first period in which the Wild managged just six shots on goal, Dumbas wrist shot put Minnesota ahead just 45 seconds into the second.dddddddddddd The young defenseman brought the puck up the center of the ice and casually sent the puck on net, beating Allen high to the stick side.Allen had little help as Niederreiter scored for the first time in seven games. Erik Haula and Charlie Coyle were right in front of Allen, along with two defensemen, but Niederreiter cycled freely before flipping the puck in.Tarasenko, who had six goals against the Wild in the playoffs two years ago, scored for the 10th time in the past 18 games. He is tied for fifth in the league with 14 goals.I thought periodically again we played well, Blues defenseman Alex Pietrangelo said. I think the story of the road this year has been a little bit of consistency between games.St. Louis is 4-8-1 on the road this season, while 12-1-3 at home.Game notes Minnesota D Christian Folin skated in the pregame warmup but was scratched for the seventh straight game with a sprained MCL in his left knee. Folin has been cleared to return but Nate Prosser was in the lineup again Sunday. ... The Wild are 0 for 17 on the power play the past seven games. ... Blues assistant coaches Mike Yeo and Rick Wilson were honored by the Wild during a timeout in their first trip back to Minnesota. Yeo was the Wild coach for four-plus seasons, leading the team to the playoffs three times. Wilson had six years as an assistant with Minnesota.UP NEXTBlues: A four-game trip ends Tuesday night at Nashville.Wild: End a three-game homestand on Tuesday night against Florida. ' ' '