NEWS » year has been very similar. We starte

Fighting back from a double-digit deficit to make a final score respectable against an elite Western Conference team might have been seen as a moral victory for the Los Angeles Lakers in recent seasons.Especially when their loss totals were 61 and 65.This year, the young Lakers are not accepting losing a close game or making a score more respectable.Los Angeles is in the beginning stages of a difficult stretch of its schedule that might give a clearer idea about how it stacks up and it continues Sunday night when it hosts the Chicago Bulls.Los Angeles has won seven of its first 13 games with notable wins over the Houston Rockets, Golden State Warriors and Atlanta Hawks. The Lakers had a chance at another noteworthy win Friday but ultimately could not stop the San Antonio Spurs from making enough big shots in a 116-107 loss.Los Angeles was tied with the Spurs early in the third quarter and fell behind by as many as 15 before making the final margin closer.Last year, we would have been out of this game if we were down by that much, Lakers guard Jordan Clarkson said. Were out here to compete every night now. Were not OK with any loss.Friday was the first of a hellacious week for the Lakers. After facing Chicago, Los Angeles hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder, plays a home-and-home with Golden State and hosts Atlanta before playing 12 of its next 15 games on the road.Regardless of their feelings, the Lakers may play Sunday without second-year guard DAngelo Russell. Russell missed Fridays game with a sore left knee and coach Luke Walton does not expect it to be a long-term problem.It makes it really hard, Lakers forward Julius Randle said. (Russell) gets us in our stuff, obviously can really score the ball. Hes a great leader for us.Russell did not practice Saturday and received treatment on the knee. He will be re-evaluated Sunday and is listed as questionable.His knee has been bothering him (but) hes been playing through it, Walton said. It started hurting more, so they decided last night when he got to the arena to shut him down.Russell leads the Lakers with 16.8 points per game, slightly ahead of veteran Lou Williams. Williams scored 24 Friday and has helped the Los Angeles reserves lead the league in scoring at 51 points.Chicago had its four-game winning streak stopped by imploding in the fourth quarter of a 102-95 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night. The Bulls led by 19 in the second quarter but allowed 30 points in the fourth and made one basket in the final 6 1/2 minutes.Dwyane Wade scored 28 points but shot 9-of-20, including 1-of-5 in the fourth quarter. Jimmy Butler added 22 but was even more inefficient by shooting 5-of-18.It was a good night for us, we just didnt come out with the win, Wade said. Its the NBA, leads are whatever. Id rather have a 19-point lead in the second half. Im not all about the 20-point leads in the first half, especially on the road. A team is going to come back and the game is going to turn in their favor.Saturday was even more frustrating for Chicago as coach Fred Hoiberg was ejected in the waning seconds after Taj Gibson got called for a technical foul. That came shortly after Butler was called for a questionable foul on Blake Griffin as the shot clock was winding down, resulting in a four-point deficit from the foul shots.Chicago also lost for the first time when taking a lead into the fourth quarter and the collapse cost the Bulls their first 3-0 start to their annual circus trip since 1995.Chicago has swept the season series with the Lakers in two of the last three seasons. Last season, Butler scored 26 in the Bulls 114-91 win at Los Angeles on Jan. 28. Wilmer Flores Diamondbacks Jersey . If ever they start actually putting pictures beside words in the dictionary, the Blue Jays left-handers mug will appear beside “Consistency. Taijuan Walker Diamondbacks 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. http://www.diamondbackssale.com/diamondbacks-robbie-ray-jersey/ . Didier Drogba gave away the penalty that put Senegal one goal away from a major upset, but the veteran striker will get another chance -- probably his last -- at the World Cup after Salomon Kalous injury-time strike sealed the Ivorians place in Brazil next year. Randy Johnson Jersey . -- Playing time has been limited for Maxim Tissot this season, so the Montreal Impact defender made the most of his first scoring opportunity on Saturday. Wilmer Flores Jersey . They hope to persuade the other team owners and commissioner Roger Goodell to put pressure on Redskins owner Daniel Snyder to drop the nickname they find offensive. "Given the way the meeting transpired," Ray Halbritter, an Oneida representative and leader of the "Change the Mascot Campaign," said Wednesday, "it became somewhat evident they were defending the continued use of the name. Warriors boss Jim Doyle has pointed to another bad start as a major reason the club failed to make the NRL playoffs for a fifth year in a row.Doyle, the clubs managing director, says the past decade has shown that the Warriors begin campaigns poorly, when looking at the first block of eight games.We have on average three wins, so we get six points out of 16, he told Warriors TV.In the middle, we tend to do well - we tend to get 10 or 12 points - then we tend to fall off again at the end.Unfortunately this year has been very similar. We started off the season really poorly. We put ourselves under pressure.In 2016, the Warriors had three wins after round eight, after having begun the year with three consecutive losses.ddddddddddddhey still had a chance of making the playoffs with four rounds to go, but proceeded to lose all four remaining fixtures to finish 10th, three points outside the top eight, with a 10-14 record.The Warriors failure again to make the finals had increased speculation over the future of coach Andrew McFadden, who has one year left on his contract.Doyle said board member Owen Eastwood would lead a review into every part of the clubs structure to see where the Warriors fell short. ' ' '