n. Acting Canadian national team coach Colin Miller also made Du

PHOENIX -- The Phoenix Suns will put their improved defense on display Sunday afternoon when they seek to avenge an earlier high-scoring loss to the Denver Nuggets in a duel of struggling Western Conference teams.The Suns are coming off a 98-85 home loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Friday night, a game in which they blew a 10-point, fourth-quarter lead.Despite the loss, the Suns held a second consecutive opponent below 100 points after having allowed 14 of the first 15 to reach the figure.In the process, the Suns have gone from the bottom of the NBA rankings in points allowed to the fourth worst at 111.7 per game.The mindset we have to play with and understand how to win in this league, a lot of it is defensive, Suns coach Earl Watson explained to the media last week. There are great offensive teams, but the defense carries you throughout the season.The Phoenix defense failed to show up for the earlier meeting with the Nuggets in Denver. The Suns allowed the Nuggets to shoot 48.4 percent from the field and 47.1 percent (8 of 17) on 3-pointers in a 120-104 loss on Nov. 16.The Suns were led in that game by reserve Wilson Chandler, who made half of his 22 shots from the field and two of his three 3-pointers on a 28-point night.Chandler has since been promoted to the starting lineup as the Nuggets have had a hard time finding healthy bodies. They suited up only 10 players in Fridays 132-129 overtime loss at home to Oklahoma City.Chandler was even better against the Thunder than the Suns, posting a season-high 30 points. Jameer Nelson also had season highs for points (21) and assists (13) in the loss.Among the players missing for the Nuggets on Friday were Will Barton and Mike Miller, both of whom were excused from the team for personal reasons.It is unclear how long they will be out, as is the case with Danilo Gallinari, who is questionable for Sundays game with a strained thigh.The Suns also had a player away for personal reasons when Tyson Chandler missed eight of nine games after the death of his mother.The leagues sixth-leading rebounder returned for Fridays home loss to Minnesota but was limited to 11 minutes off the bench, during which he contributed six points and seven rebounds.Chandler and Len combined for 12 points and nine rebounds out of the center position in the earlier matchup with the Nuggets.Like the Suns (5-12), the Nuggets (6-10) let one get away Friday night when they squandered a late 13-point lead in regulation en route to their overtime loss to the Thunder.I thought we played well enough offensively for sure to win the game, Nelson noted to reporters afterward. We just couldnt get stops when we needed them.The Nuggets-Suns matchup pits two of the NBAs rising stars, University of Kentucky products Jamal Murray and Devin Booker.Phoenixs Booker, who turned 20 on Oct. 30, logged 1,078 NBA points as a teenager, the sixth most in league history behind LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Carmelo Anthony, Kevin Durant and Dwight Howard.Denvers Murray, meanwhile, is the active scoring leader among teens, averaging 10.6 points per game as a 19-year-old. The Suns Marquese Chriss, also 19, ranks third on that list at 6.2. Hydro Flask Clearance . Tevez, who has had conflicts with coaches in the past, has not been called up since Sabella was named coach in 2011. Argentina boasts Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, Sergio Aguero, Ezequiel Lavezzi and Angel Di Maria. Hydro Flask 40 Oz Ireland . As the crowd erupted, Davis knocked the ball off the glass and back into his hands. With 1:14 to go in overtime, Davis sixth block also became his 17th rebound. That, along with his 32 points -- which tied a career high -- proved too much for Denver to overcome, and the Pelicans held on for their third straight victory, 111-107 on Sunday night. http://www.cheaphydroflaskireland.com/ .com) - Manchester City midfielder David Silva is expected to miss the next four weeks because of a calf problem. Cheap Hydro Flask Ireland . The veteran safety was a starter for the Bengals from 2008-2012. He totaled 41 tackles and three interceptions while starting all but four of the 13 games he played last season. Cheap Hydro Flask Near Me . Now that hes hitting streaking teammates with pin-point passes for easy layups, Love is asserting himself as one of the true superstars in the league. TORONTO -- Toronto FC striker Danny Koevermans has endured everything from defenders hacking at his legs to knee reconstruction surgery. Not much gets to the big Dutchman. But the 34-year-old Koevermans had a hard time keeping it together Thursday when asked about the departure of friend and teammate Terry Dunfield. The MLS team waived the hard-tackling Canadian international, whose US$120,000 salary and place in the midfield pecking order had rendered him surplus to requirements. "Hes just a great guy, a funny guy. And he was important to the team," said Koevermans, struggling to keep his emotions in check. "What can I say? Im going to miss him. "Its sad it turned out like this, but as the coach said, its business. I cant do anything about it. Unfortunately." Koevermans tradition of a pre-game coffee with Dunfield has fallen victim to the business of MLS soccer. Dunfield started the season in central midfield along with Jeremy Hall but sprained his knee April 2 in practice. He returned to find himself deep down the depth chart. Argentine Matias Laba, a young designated player acquired in late April, has since been installed alongside Hall. Toronto can redeploy Luis Silva and Jonathan Osorio in central midfield if needed. Silva has been playing behind the striker while Osorio has been shifted to the right flank. Manager Ryan Nelsen also pointed to English veteran Darel Russell, who has been used at fullback, as a possible midfield replacement. And rookie Kyle Bekker is also available. "Its one position were fairly deep-ish at now," said Nelsen. At 31, Dunfield also found himself a greybeard alongside the 21-year-old Laba and Osorio, 22-year-old Bekker and 24-year-old Hall. Dunfield said last week his knee felt fine and he was willing to do whatever was needed to help the team. If Nelsen were to play him "he knows hell get 100 per cent from me," Dunfield told reporters. His services apparently werent needed. He was slated to play a reserve match in Pittsburgh last Friday but did not see action. Dunfield is the 21st Toronto FC player out the door since the team finished the 2012 season with a league-worst 5-21-8 record. And there may be more moves for Nelsens 1-7-5 team, which is winless in 11 league games. Veteran defender Danny Califf and his $165,000 salary seem up for grabs. And Toronto is spending $200,000 on a backup keeper in the talented Stefan Frei. Nelsen says the club has identified its next transfer targets. "We have quite a few options in the works," he acknowledged. "Weve lined up the guyss we want," he added.dddddddddddd "If we can get three or four players that were trying to get in, well be very close." The next transfer window opens July 9 although the team can make trades within the league. Nelsen and assistant coach Fran OLeary were scouting in Europe recently while chief scout Pat Onstad and president Kevin Payne have been in Argentina and Uruguay. Nelsen says his team is better than its record shows. "The guys performances have been really good. We just havent got the points that we would like." A major reason for that is Toronto has dropped 11 points in seven games due to late goals. Nelsen spoke highly of Dunfield, calling his release a difficult decision. Had the player been on a $60,000 salary, he might still be here, the manager acknowledged. "But then again its a $60,000 player that probably isnt going to see much time (playing)," he said. Practices will be safer for Toronto FC players in the absence of Dunfield, who took no prisoners no matter that shirt they wore. As an attacking player, Dunfields shots often missed their mark. And when they were on target in practice, no one made more noise about it than Dunfield. But he scored six goals for Toronto, including a stoppage-time winner via a header against the Vancouver Whitecaps, his former team, in July 2012. He was a key player for TFC in 2012, starting 30 games and thriving under manager Paul Mariner after Aron Winter was fired 10 games into the season. Mariner thought enough of Dunfield to use him as captain. Acting Canadian national team coach Colin Miller also made Dunfield captain for a friendly against Denmark early this year in Arizona. The Vancouver native was originally acquired in a trade with the Whitecaps in July 2011. He made 56 appearances for Toronto in MLS, CONCACAF Champions League and Amway Canadian Championship play. One of his last acts as a Toronto FC player was to add to a colourful tattoo sleeve on his arm. Dunfield showed off the new ink, a tall ship, last week. Days later, the ship and its owner had set sail. Toronto plays Saturday at 1-10-3 D.C. United, the only team with fewer points. D.C. is winless in 12 league games. Ben Olsens team has failed to score in its last three games but is coming off a 3-1 U.S. Open Cup win over the Philadelphia Union that saw a hat trick from Canadian international Dwayne De Rosario. NOTES -- Captain Darren ODea missed practice through illness and is questionable for the weekend at left back. Defenders Califf (back) and Richard Eckersley (hamstring) also missed practice. ' ' '