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LOS ANGELES -- After getting blown out by the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Los Angeles Lakers will try to regroup at home.The Lakers open a four-game homestand Tuesday night beginning with the Brooklyn Nets at Staples Center.Energy was an issue for the Lakers during their last outing, which resulted in a 126-99 loss Sunday to the host Timberwolves behind a career-high 47 points from Andrew Wiggins. Although the Lakers finished the three-game trip with a 2-1 mark and earned double-digit victories over the New Orleans Pelicans and Sacramento Kings, the journey took its toll in Minnesota.Theres not many teams in the NBA that go three in four nights on the road and can bring it on that last night, Lakers coach Luke Walton said, according to the Los Angeles Times, referring to the debacle against the Timberwolves. Well continue to get better. At that point it becomes more mental than anything else. We didnt have that (Sunday).Despite the defeat, the Lakers (6-5) have been one of the NBAs early surprises. Los Angeles didnt record its sixth win until Dec. 30, 2015, at Boston en route to a franchise-worst 17-65 campaign.Their improved play has been mainly the by-product of their up-tempo offense, a system Walton incorporated here after two seasons with the Golden State Warriors. The Lakers ranked fifth in points per game (108.6) heading into Mondays games. They also were third in field-goal percentage (47.6), a category they trailed the Warriors and the Atlanta Hawks, two teams they beat earlier this season. Los Angeles also was the third-best free-throw shooting club at 81.7 percent.However, the Lakers have been careless handling the basketball. They were 25th in turnovers at 16.6 per game before Monday.Theyve also experienced problems defensively, allowing 107.5 points per game, which ranked 20th. Opponents have shot 46.6 percent (25th) against Los Angeles.Brooklyn (4-6) will be playing the second game of a back-to-back. The Nets were handed a 127-95 spanking by the Los Angeles Clippers on Monday night.It happens in the NBA. The good thing about it is you play the next night, said Nets forward Trevor Booker, who managed just four points and a first-half technical foul for his frustrations during the rout.Against the Clippers, the Nets played without center and leading scorer Brook Lopez, who the club rested because of the back-to-backs it is playing.Its just our plan for him, big picture, Nets coach Kenny Atkinson said of the teams plan to consistently boost Lopezs peak performance level, according to Newsday.Lopez appears to be on board with the plan.Weve been having meetings throughout the process, Lopez told Newsday. We had a schedule kind of planned out, but its pretty tentative. Weve mostly been playing it by ear. We felt it would be best to take one of these (two games in Los Angeles) off and just go for it after that.The Lakers swept the Nets in their two meetings last season.After Tuesdays contest, the host the San Antonio Spurs on Friday and the Chicago Bulls on Saturday. They cap their stay at home with a contest Nov. 22 against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Mark Gastineau Youth Jersey . There are some early surprises in the race for the Hart Trophy, but two of the contenders are the leagues biggest stars over the past decade. There are many more players in contention for the awards than just the three that Ive named, and a good or bad week can easily alter the landscape, but through the first 20 or so games of the NHL season, this is how the awards races look to me. Joe Klecko Jersey . R.J. Umberger scored twice to lead the Blue Jackets to a franchise-record for consecutive wins with a 5-3 victory Tuesday night over the Los Angeles Kings. http://www.jetsrookiestore.com/Jets-Cj-Mosley-Jersey/ . -- Ryan Getzlaf grabbed the three pucks wrapped in tape and held them up to his chest in the Anaheim Ducks dressing room for a celebration nine seasons in the making. Keyshawn Johnson Jersey . LOUIS -- St. Chuma Edoga Youth Jersey . The Canadian squad, skipped by Jennifer Jones of Winnipeg, got on the board first with two in the second end, and followed that with two more apiece in the fourth and sixth ends. This is DeAngelo Halls 13th NFL training camp, and yet it feels like his first.Thats because after a football lifetime of playing cornerback Hall is transitioning to safety full time at 32. He just doesnt feel his age right now.Its taking me back to my younger days, Hall said. I feel rejuvenated.Hall is making the switch alongside fellow converted cornerback Will Blackmon, while the Washington Redskins try hybrid rookie Sua Cravens at linebacker and have already moved Trent Murphy from linebacker to defensive end and back. Its a defense with plenty of moving parts, but one the team hopes thrives thanks to its versatility.Its always valuable to have that, Hall said. We always joke around in this league and say the more you can do the better. Any time youve got multiple guys who can do multiple things and play multiple positions, it gives you an advantage.After the departure of Terrance Knighton, the Redskins could have no nose tackle in the traditional sense, but Kedric Golston, rookie Matt Ioannidis and others could fill the void. Safety Dashon Goldson left, but that opened room to move Hall and Blackmon and sign strong safety David Bruton Jr.And then there was the addition of All-Pro cornerback Josh Norman.Its not as if general manager Scot McCloughan, coach Jay Gruden and defensive coordinator Joe Barry wanted to shake up the defense like a snow globe. And they didnt take the position changes lightly.You cant just say, `Hey, hes been in the NFL for 10 years, he can go play another position, Barry said during minicamp in June. There are subtle intricacies to every position. ... Its hard when you move positions, no doubt about it. They have attacked the position change and are really working their tail off.Golston, the graybeard of the group entering his 11th season with the Redskins, figures all the moving and shaking cant be a bad thing.The versatility I think is whats key because, as you know, injuries will happen, Golston said. You dont want them to, but thats just the National Football League. So to be able to move guys around and have that familiarity with those positions, its super important.dddddddddddd.It already proved important when Washington lost outside linebacker Junior Galette for the season with another torn Achilles tendon. Murphy spent the offseason putting on 20 pounds and learning defensive end, but earlier this week the Redskins moved him back to linebacker to compensate for Galettes injury.Even though hes a linebacker again, that doesnt meant Murphy should forget everything about the transition.On game day, if you dress five defensive linemen, four outside backers, he can also be an extra defensive lineman, Gruden said. Or three outside linebackers, count him as a defensive end, he can be an outside linebacker. His value will be big because he can play both.Cravens, a second-round pick out of Southern Cal, can play safety and linebacker. McCloughan called that a good problem to have.For now, Cravens is working at inside linebacker with plenty of time to change course.He can bang like a linebacker and he can run like a safety, Gruden said. He needs to learn the defense, so we figured inside linebacker in nickel and dime situations is the spot to teach him the defense first. From there we can branch off, see his skill set, move on and try him at safety.Expect plenty of experimentation from the Redskins when they open the preseason Thursday at the Atlanta Falcons, and in the weeks to come. Hall and Blackmon have to speak up in their new roles as defensive communicators, Murphy has to get back to the basics of being a linebacker and Cravens has to figure out the first things about playing in the NFL.Theyll all be leaning on each other along the way.The cool thing about our group is that everyone helps each other, Blackmon said. Everyones just sharing information, everyones really smart, everyones real versatile.---AP NFL website: www.pro32.ap.org and www.twitter.com/AP-NFL ' ' '