ERST LESEN! » nte said.The Hoki

At 6-17 this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves are reeling.Their latest bump in the road came via a 27-point loss Friday to Detroit. Tom Thibodeaus team, lined with young and inexperienced players, could use a few wins to build a bit of confidence.Hosting the team with the NBAs best record may not be the ideal way to do that.On Sunday, Minnesota welcomes the Golden State Warriors, who even despite a loss Saturday to Memphis still boasts a 20-4 mark.Things seemingly hit a low point in Minneapolis following Fridays blowout. After the Wolves 117-90 loss, players had some pretty strong words about their latest performance.We didnt play with heart, point guard Ricky Rubio told the Minneapolis Star Tribune. It was a two-point game and suddenly it was a 25-point game. And it seems like we didnt care.Guard Zach LaVine echoed Rubios sentiment following Minnesotas 17th loss.We got blown out at home, and its unacceptable, LaVine told the Star Tribune. Weve got to play as a team. We have to come out and give it all weve got. Because we have to get out of this hole. This is our job. Our passion. Its about us.Golden State reeled off four straight wins before suffering a 110-89 loss Saturday to the Memphis Grizzlies. That loss was only the fourth of the year -- and the third by at least 20 points -- for the reigning Western Conference champion. Steve Kerrs team has still looked like the team to beat in the NBA through the first few months of the 2016-17 season.In Saturdays loss, Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson were each 4-for-14 from the floor. Kevin Durant led the Warriors with 21 points, while Curry was held to 17 points -- including an uncharacteristic 3-for-11 from 3-point range.I think (Currys) set the bar so high the last couple years, Warriors coach Steve Kerr told the San Jose Mercury News after Saturdays loss. Hes got high standards. Hell find his stroke.Defense has been one of the weakest parts of Minnesotas game this year. The young Timberwolves rank near the bottom of the league in many defensive categories, including points against and opponent field goal percentage. They havent held an opponent to fewer than 100 points in eight straight games.That doesnt necessarily bode well for Minnesota on Sunday, considering Golden State is the highest-scoring team in the NBA. However, Saturdays 89-point performance was the lowest output of the year for the Warriors.Tonight was just about our overall effort, Kerr told the Mercury News on Saturday. It didnt matter who was doing what offensively.Its the second meeting of the year between the Timberwolves and Warriors. Golden State won at home against Minnesota 115-102 on Nov. 26 despite forward Draymond Green not playing because of an ankle injury. Curry scored 34 points in that one. Leon Durham Jersey .com) - Yankee Stadium is the home of the Bronx Bombers, but on Sunday afternoon it will open its gates to host the latest addition of the Hudson River Rivalry. Rick Reuschel Jersey . - The Washington Redskins have cut defensive lineman Adam Carriker and punter Sav Rocca. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-kosuke-fukudome-jersey-large-80n.html . The catch: It needs a lot of money, and it needs it fast. Miguel Amaya Jersey . Klitschkos management company says the bout will be the Ukrainian fighters 25th world championship fight. The 1.83-meter (6-foot) Leapai defeated the previously unbeaten Denis Boytsov in November to become the WBOs mandatory challenger. Moises Alou Jersey . -- Matt Kuchar and Harris English ran away with the Franklin Templeton Shootout, shooting a 14-under 58 on Sunday in the final-round scramble to break the tournament course record. The spread offenses of Virginia Tech and Syracuse were both tested in the rain and wind last week in North Carolina. The Hokies passed. The Orange did not.The teams will face off in a much more controlled environment at the Carrier Dome in Syracuse when the 17th-ranked Hokies (4-1, 2-0 ACC) face the Orange (2-4, 0-2) at 3:45 p.m. ET Saturday (ESPNU).The question: Will Syracuse have success against a Virginia Tech defense that has shut down a pair of high-flying offenses in its last two games? The Hokies seem ready.No matter how good of a game we play, we never want to get complacent, Hokies cornerback Brandon Facyson said.And how much better can the Hokies offense perform when it does not have to deal with the sloppy conditions brought on by Hurricane Matthew?Tech is coming off a convincing 34-3 road win over then-No. 19 North Carolina, a victory that vaulted the Hokies eight spots in the most recent Associated Press poll and put them in control of the division race.While hardly prolific, the Hokies offense was efficient enough while taking advantage of favorable field position throughout the contest.Quarterback Jerod Evans was only 7-of-17 passing for just 75 yards and two touchdowns, and running back Travon McMillian led the rushing attack with 76 yards on 17 carries against North Carolina. Both McMillian and Evans rushed for touchdowns.The real key to the victory for Tech, however, was its defense. The Hokies completely shut down a Tar Heels offense that put up gaudy numbers in each of its first five games. The Heels rushed for only 73 yards and passed for just 58. They turned the ball over four times on two lost fumbles and two interceptions.Techs defense has been dominant during a recent run that included blowout wins over Boston College, East Carolina and North Carolina. ECU also boasts one of the top spread offenses in the country, and it struggled against the Hokies in much the same way the Tar Heels did.The Hokies have outscored their last three opponents 137-20.Syracuses fast-paced, nno-huddle spread attack, engineered by first-year coach Dino Babers, couldnt get going at Wake Forest last week.dddddddddddd The Orange, coming off back-to-back 30-point performances, had a season-low 326 total yards in a 28-9 loss to the Demon Deacons.Syracuse gained more than 400 yards in each of its first five games, and it exceeded 500 twice in that span.To me, we know theyre going to put the ball in the air and operate at an incredible pace. ... They like to run the ball, too, Hokies first-year coach Justin Fuente said.The Hokies could have their work cut out for them at the Dome, which it hasnt visited since 2002.Every down is a threat. They like to pass the ball, a very wide-open team, Facyson said of Syracuse. We just need to execute.Slowing down the pace also could help. The Orange like to play fast and pass-happy. When asked to do something different, Syracuse struggles.Faced with the weather and a blitzing Demon Deacon defense, Syracuse ran the ball 40 times and passed it just 26. While the offense was successful picking up yards in dribs and drabs, it lacked the big-play capability of the passing attack and couldnt find the end zone after the second quarter.The Orange threw just 14 passes through the first three quarters, and only took to the air late in the game as it attempted the late comeback. Quarterback Eric Dungy finished the game 14-of-25 passing for 156 yards with one interception.They were blitzing a lot on first down, stressing some personnel that have been young in their development, and we had trouble with it, Babers said. They were getting to the quarterback and getting shots. We had some guys open, but our quarterback cant throw it to them if he cant see them.On the bright side, the defense finally was able to keep an opponent from running up big numbers. It was a 14-9 game before the Deacons scored two touchdowns in the last four minutes. ' ' '