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OKLAHOMA CITY -- After starting the season with a 6-1 record, the Oklahoma City Thunder were being looked at as the surprise team in the NBA. A week later, the Thunder are in a tailspin, riding a four-game losing streak.That is the situation that awaits the Thunder (6-5) when they play host to the Houston Rockets (6-4) on Wednesday night at the Chesapeake Energy Arena.The latest loss came Monday night when Thunder traveled to Detroit on the second night of a back-to-back. Near the end of the first quarter and the start of the second, Oklahoma City allowed the Pistons to go on a 23-6 run. It was an uphill battle from that point on, and Detroit emerged with a 104-88 victory.Defensively we started with really good energy, Thunder coach Billy Donovan said. In fairness to our guys, you can always expect on a back-to-back that youre going to be a bit leg weary. Generally thats going to affect your offense. Sometimes on back-to-backs you cant put stock or onus on having a great offensive output, but you have to hang your hat on your defense.Oklahoma Citys defense is getting precipitately worse, but it hasnt just been against teams such as the Golden State Warriors or Los Angeles Clippers.The Thunders last two defeats came at the hands of the Orlando Magic and Detroit, clubs that rank in the bottom seven in the NBA in scoring. Each team managed to score over a 100 against the Thunder.Were one of the top teams in the league when we play defensively, Thunder guard Russell Westbrook told The Oklahoman. So Im not really worried about whos playing and whos not.Having issues with defense, however, is not a good problem to have with the Rockets in town. Houston is 10th in the league in scoring at 107.8 points per game and fifth in 3-point shooting at 37 percent.Houston has not had a problem putting up points this season. The Rockets are coming off a 115-88 plastering of the Philadelphia 76ers on Monday.I thought they came out with the right intensity, they came out the way they should have, Rockets coach Mike DAntoni said. We talked about it and came out in the second half the way we should have. That way we got some good rest. I saw a lot of good things.The Rockets might get even stronger Wednesday with the possible return of guard Patrick Beverley, who has been out since the preseason after undergoing left knee surgery.Beverley and the Thunder have a history that goes back to when he crashed into Westbrooks knee during the 2013 postseason. Westbrook ended up with a torn meniscus that cost him the rest of the postseason. Thunder fans catapulted Beverley to the top of their most hated list, which he has held onto since then.Against the 76ers, Rockets guard James Harden posted 33 points, seven rebounds and nine assists. He is now one of only three players in history to average at least 30 points and 10 assists through 10 games. Harden was also named Western Conference Player of the Week.However, Harden seems to be more focused on making sure his team plays the right way.Were getting better game by game, and defensively were getting better and offensively has been better, too, Harden told ESPN.com. We take it one game at a time. These next three games will be extremely tough; well be all right as long as we continue to do the things weve been working on.Asked his assessment of the Thunder in the wake of Kevin Durant exit in free agency, Harden said, Its Russ. Its Russ, and its a one-man show.Thurman Thomas Youth Jersey .com) - Following a late-game loss to the reigning NBA champs, the Toronto Raptors will look to sustain their recent high-level play as they travel to Indiana to take on the Pacers. Dawson Knox Youth Jersey . Vokoun departed practice on Saturday morning after discovering swelling in his thigh. He was taken to a local hospital where the clot was revealed. The club announced the surgery following a 5-3 exhibition loss to the Columbus Blue Jackets. http://www.shoptheofficialbills.com/Elite-Cody-Ford-Bills-Jersey/ . Robredo, ranked No. 16, bounced back from an upset loss to Leonardo Mayer in the second round of the Royal Guard Open in Chile last week to down Carreno Busta in 1 hour, 25 minutes. On a day filled mostly with qualifying matches, fifth-seeded Marcel Granollers of Spain also entered the second with a 7-5, 3-6, 6-2 win over Aljaz Bedene of Slovenia, while Guido Pella of Argentina defeated Guillermo Garcia-Lopez of Spain 7-6 (6), 6-4 to advance. Jordan Poyer Bills Jersey . -- The plastic that was taped across the lockers in Oaklands clubhouse came down and the champagne that was on ice went back into the cooler. Ed Oliver Youth Jersey . Parker had 26 points and eight assists and San Antonio beat Toronto 112-99 Monday night. "We won that game because of Tony Parkers aggressiveness," Spurs coach Gregg Popovich said. "His juice; his aggression all night long.TAMPA, Fla. -- Ryan Miller gave the Vancouver Canucks a late scare in a one-sided win over Tampa Bay.Miller made 38 saves before leaving with six minutes left in the third period with a lower-body injury. Jayson Megna and Jack Skille both had two goals and the Canucks beat the Lightning 5-1 on Thursday night.He felt sore, he kind of twisted it when he was on the ice, Vancouver coach Willie Desjardins said of Miller. He just didnt feel quite right, so we just took him out for precaution. I dont think its anything (serious).Miller skated to the bench and then went to the locker room, and was replaced by Jacob Markstrom, who stopped two shots.Erik Gudbranson also scored for the Canucks, who are 1-1 on a five-game road trip.Tampa Bay, in a 1-5-1 slide, got a goal from Jonathan Drouin. Nikita Kucherov, Alex Killorn and Jason Garrison all were minus-4.First of all, I dont remember losing games by four goals, maybe one a year, Lightning coach Jon Cooper said. Were losing them about once a week now. It comes down to defending.Tampa Bay has lost by four or more goals four times this season.Megna had a redirection goal early in the second and then put the Canucks up 4-1 during a 2-on-1 with 1 second left in the period. The forward, who had 25 family and friends in attendance, entered with one goal in 10 games this season, and seven over 64 career games.Im sure theyre pretty excited, Megna said. Its definitely a cool experience to get to play in front of so many people. Its a pretty special night.After Skille opened the scoring 3:50 into the game on his first goal in 24 games, Gudbranson stopped a 34-game goaal drought to make it 2-0 at 9:03.ddddddddddddGudbransons shot from the slot went off the end boards and ended up in the crease where Tampa Bay goalie Ben Bishop knocked the puck into the net with his glove.Obviously, the second ones a lucky one and then we really went down, Cooper said.It was just eighth time the Canucks have scored first and sixth time Vancouver has been ahead after the first period in 27 games this season.Bishop was pulled after allowing four goals on 20 shots through two periods. Andrei Vasilevskiy stopped nine of the 10 shots he faced in the third., giving up Skilles second of the game with 6:02 remaining.Miller made several strong saves, including a post-to-post stop on Brian Boyle during a Tampa Bay power play in the third.Game notesCanucks D Philip Larsen, taken off the ice on a stretcher and driven to a hospital for observation following a check by New Jerseys Taylor Hall on Tuesday night, was medically cleared to return to Vancouver on Wednesday. ... Vancouver RW Jannik Hansen missed his 15th consecutive game due to injury but could soon return. ... Drouin (one game) and Garrison (two games) both returned from injuries. ... Tampa Bay D Luke Witkowsk, recalled from Syracuse of the AHL, assisted on Drouins goal for his first NHL point. ... Lightning D Braydon Coburn had his goal-scoring drought reach 100 consecutive games.UP NEXTCanucks: At Florida on Saturday night.Lightning: Host the Stanley Cup champion Pittsburgh Pengiuins on Saturday night. ' ' '