The Los Angeles Lakers hope to start the month of February on a good note when they open a three-game road trip tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. [url=http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-keith-moreland-jersey-large- 810n.html]Keith Moreland Jersey[/url] . The Lakers will

The Los Angeles Lakers hope to start the month of February on a good note when they open a three-game road trip tonight against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Target Center. Keith Moreland Jersey . The Lakers will also visit Cleveland and Philadelphia, have lost four in a row on the road and are 8-18 as the guest this season. They are 3-12 on the road against Western Conference opponents. Los Angeles is mired in a six-game slide overall and dropped a 110-100 decision to the Charlotte Bobcats the last time out on Friday, when Pau Gasol finished with 24 points and nine rebounds. Nick Young added 21 off the bench and Jodie Meeks scored 19 points for the Lakers, who are only 3-18 in the last 21 games and shot 38.7 percent from the floor. "They just werent ready to play for whatever reason," said Los Angeles head coach Mike DAntoni. "Whether its the end of January, who knows, but its inexcusable." As has been the case almost all season, injuries are the main story for the Lakers. Kobe Bryant (knee) wont travel with the team on this trip and it was announced Gasol (groin) would also stay in LA for rehab. However, there is some good news as all three injured point guards, Steve Nash, Steve Blake and Jordan Farmar, appear ready to return to the lineup. "Theyre all good," DAntoni said. "I think theyre all ready to go. Theres a possibility all three could play (at Minnesota)." Lakers center Chris Kaman is probable Tuesday because of a sore knee and he has missed the previous seven games. He might get the starting call with Gasol shelved, although Kaman has basically fallen out of the rotation. Meanwhile, the Timberwolves have dropped two in a row and three of five games, including Saturdays 120-113 setback at Atlanta. Kevin Love pumped in 43 points and grabbed 19 rebounds, while Kevin Martin and J.J. Barea added 17 and 12 points, respectively, for the Timberwolves, who finished shooting 44 percent from the field. Barea was ejected with 6:43 left in the fourth quarter after receiving his second technical foul. "I didnt even know I had it (43 points) until I think Martin told me after the game. I was just trying to get us back in the game by any means," Love said. "Teammates set me up with a lot of good shots. A loss, especially right now, is tough." Love has posted three straight double-doubles and nine in the last 10 games, posting an average of 25.3 points and 13.3 rebounds in that time. Minnesota has dropped 11 straight in Atlanta and will visit Oklahoma City and New Orleans after hosting the Lakers. The TWolves, who are 13-9 in the Twin Cities, have split two meetings with Los Angeles this season and will host the Lakers on March 28. The Lakers have won 26 of the last 28 matchups with Minnesota and are unbeaten in 11 straight and 12 of 13 contests at the Target Center. Xavier Cedeno Jersey . Terrance Broadway threw for 227 yards and Hunter Stover kicked three field goals as the Ragin Cajuns won an unprecedented fourth straight New Orleans Bowl with a 16-3 triumph over Nevada. Yu Darvish Jersey . With Van Osch out with a flu bug that has been rampaging through the tournament, Knezevic stepped in to lead B.C. (4-3) to a pair of victories on Tuesday before 1,131 at the Maurice Richard Arena. http://www.customcubsjersey.com/custom-robel-garcia-jersey-large-1800n.html . Then he got back at the team that released him five days before the start of last season, hitting a tiebreaking double in the ninth inning of the first game at Fenway Park since Boston won the World Series last October.BRISBANE, Australia -- This was one time Serena Williams didnt mind being pushed into the deep end, to use her own description. The top-ranked Williams carried her winning momentum from 2013 into the new season, beating No. 2-ranked Victoria Azarenka 6-4, 7-5 on Saturday to defend her title at the Brisbane International and set the tone for the Australian Open. She extended her winning streak to 22 matches with the emphatic win over the reigning Australian Open champion, making it back-to-back victories over two of her main rivals. She beat four-time major winner Maria Sharapova in straight sets in an intense semifinal, her 14th consecutive win in that frosty duel. She improved to 14-3 against Azarenka, the last person to beat her last year. Before the semifinals, Williams said there was nothing like being "thrown into the deep end straight away." Having come through those challenges, she thought it was the ideal season-opening tournament. "It was a great test. It showed me where my level was," Williams said, looking ahead to the Australian Open. "Im happy I was able to play both Maria and Victoria, because they brought their A games against me. I know now what I need to do for Melbourne -- I look forward to it." The years first major starts Jan. 13 at Melbourne Park and Williams, who won 78 of her 82 matches and collected 11 titles last year, is positioning herself as the favourite to claim a sixth Australian title after winning a tournament featuring six of the top 10 women. Williams has so many trophies now, she said she doesnt know where they all are -- "some are MIA" -- but that doesnt stop her from collecting more. This was her 58th, including 17 majors. Immediately after the loss, Azarenka said she hopes to face Williams again in Melbourne -- as the top two ranked players, they can only meet in the final. "I cant say Im satisfied today, but I want to take the positive, what Ive done today, and build from here towards the next week," Azarenka said. "This is the first week where you really test yourself where yoour game is at, and from here you can take the positives and the things that you have to work on and really go after that. Todd Hundley Jersey. " Williams earned the first break in the seventh game and hit fired consecutive aces to finish off the first set in 37 minutes. She went up a break immediately in the second set before Azarenka won four straight games to take a 4-2 lead. Williams, who was comparatively silent against a screeching opponent for the second straight night, let out a scream of relief and satisfaction after hitting an overhead winner to break back in the seventh game. And she yelled and pumped her arm again after converting a break in the 11th game with a backhand down line. Serving for the championship, Williams started with two aces -- her 10th and 11th -- and then hit a service winner to set up two championship points at 40-15. She fired an unreturnable serve to finish it off. The Williams sisters were hoping to both win a WTA Tour event in the same week for the first time in 15 years, but Ana Ivanovic prevented that when she beat Venus Williams 6-2, 5-7, 6-4 in the final of the ASB Classic in Auckland, New Zealand. It was the end of a personal drought for second-seeded Ivanovic, who claimed her 12th career singles title and her first since Bali in 2011. Venus Williams was the crowds sentimental favourite after reaching the final of her first tournament since September. After a long struggle with injury and illness, her form in Auckland supported her claim that she is fitter and healthier than she has been in years. The mens final in Brisbane on Sunday will feature two 32-year-old former No. 1s. Top-seeded Roger Federer and Lleyton Hewitt earned three-set semifinal victories to advance, renewing a rivalry that stretches back to the last millennium. Federer beat No. 8-seeded Jeremy Chardy 6-3, 6-7 (3), 6-3 immediately after Hewitts 5-7, 6-4, 6-3 win over second-seeded Kei Nishikori of Japan in sweltering heat topping 40 Celsius (104 F). The pair have met 26 times dating back to 1999, with Federer leading 18-8 including 16 of the last 17. ' ' '