If the San Jose Earthquakes are to make a run at a Western Conference playoff berth, they need to start winning some road fixtures.A prime opportunity presents itself Sunday night when they visit the Houston Dynamo for each teams first match after Thursday nights All-Star Game.San Jose (6-6-8) is 0-5-5 as the road team but is facing the conferences worst team. Houston (4-9-7) has just 19 points and is tied for 18th overall in MLS, leading only Chicago and tied with Columbus.Each team settled for a draw in their last match before the All-Star break. The Earthquakes couldnt make Chris Wondolowskis early goal stand up in a 1-1 tie at Real Salt Lake, and the Dynamo played Vancouver to a standoff at home.Records aside, there isnt a whole lot of difference between the sides. Houston actually has scored more goals (23-22), although it has allowed more goals (26-23) and has actually tried more shots while creating more corners.San Jose won the teams first meeting this season on May 11, dumping the Dynamo 3-1 at home. It has by far the top scorer between the teams, as Wondolowski has eight goals.Both teams have injury issues. Houston will play without defender DaMarcus Beasley (knee) and goalie Tyler Deric (left abdominal strain), and probably wont have midfielder Rob Lovejoy (sprained ankle). The Earthquakes have five players listed as out, including goalie Bryan Meredith and defender Kofi Sarkodie.The Dynamos Alex and San Joses Anibal Godoy will play under caution accumulation warnings.Superstar NZ Cheap . -- Three close looks at the bucket, three misses. Adidas Alphabounce NZ .com) - Christian Ponder will get another chance to prove himself for the Minnesota Vikings, with head coach Leslie Frazier announcing Wednesday that the struggling quarterback will start this weekends game against the Green Bay Packers. http://www.nmdshoesnz.com/ . The 43-year-old closer, in his 19th and final big league season, has said hed like to play the outfield. Yankees manager Joe Girardi says hes thinking about allowing Rivera to do it this weekend, when the Yankees finish their season with a three-game series at the Houston Astros. NMD XR1 NZ . At a Manhattan federal court hearing, attorney Jordan Siev said his law office has gotten more evidence nearly every day to support its lawsuit accusing MLB and Selig of going on a "witch hunt" to ruin Rodriguezs reputation and career. He said the defendants went "way over the line. NMD Clearance . Canada is now down to its 22-player limit, although but players wont be registered until Christmas Day. Changes could still be made as a result of a suspension or injury.SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- The Sacramento Kings waited a long time to kick off a new era of basketball, especially considering the franchises recent fortunes.Symbolically, they will step into the future Thursday when they open their shiny new arena.The San Antonio Spurs may find that to be the perfect backdrop as the continue into their new era of basketball, one that kicked off in a way reminiscent of the old one.Sacramentos new pad, the $557 million, 17,500-seat Golden 1 Center in the citys downtown area, will become the franchises ninth home. It will be the Kings third arena since moving to Sacramento in 1985.The Kings simply hope they can win there. Sacramento finished 18-23 in its final season at Sleep Train Arena and hasnt been above .500 at home in a season since the 2007-08 campaign.A win against San Antonio would add to the good feelings the Kings stirred up in a 113-94, opening-night win at Phoenix on Tuesday. Center DeMarcus Cousins scored 24 points, and forward Rudy Gay scored 22 with four blocked shots as a Kings team that allowed an NBA-worst 109.1 points per game a season ago held the Suns to only 38 in the first half.A victory for Sacramento on Thursday also would be the punctuation to a night of celebration that is supposed to mark a new path after 10 seasons of turmoil without a playoff appearance.The first thing weve got to do is learn how to compete, and the second thing then is to learn how to win, Sacramento coach Dave Joerger told the Sacramento Bee. Were not a young group, so if we can get through stage one quickly, then we can get to stage two.The Spurs should feel right at home against a rowdy crowd. San Antonio laid a 129-100 beating upon the two-time Western Conference champion Warriors on Tuesday in Oakland, Calif., spoiling forward Kevin Durants debut with Golden State and taking the air out of an arena overflowing with enthusiasm.San Antonio also showed thaat life without Tim Duncan might be just as full of winning as it was with him.dddddddddddd The Spurs are playing without Duncan as a regular part of their lineup for the first time since the end of the 1996-97 season. The Hall of Fame-bound center retired in June after a 19-season career during which San Antonio won five championships and never won fewer than 50 games in a full regular season.With Duncan, the Spurs won 13 times in their past 14 visits to Sacramento.Without Duncan, San Antonio hardly missed a beat in its opener. The Spurs didnt need him on the glass, outrebounding Golden State 55-35. They also seemed to have no issues finding replacements, running up a 54-16 advantage with their reserves. Guard Jonathon Simmons turned in a 20-point effort.Guard Kawhi Leonard supplied the scoring with a 35-point night that included 15-for-15 shooting from the free-throw line. Only Duncan (twice), guard George Gervin and center David Robinson ever scored that many on a perfect night at the line for the Spurs, according to the San Antonio Express-News.If there was an outcome I wasnt expecting, it was this one, San Antonios Manu Ginobili said after the game. A 29-point lead against a team like them? I truly didnt expect it.Optimism from a new arena aside, the Kings arent sure what to expect during the seasons early days. They jumped to a 19-point halftime lead against the Suns and looked dynamic at times. However, the contest was the first of 11 in the seasons first 17 days, eight of which they will play with only one true point guard (Ty Lawson) wile fellow point guard Darren Collison serves an eight-game suspension after pleading guilty to domestic abuse.Lawson played 36 minutes against Phoenix and finished with nine points, seven assists and six rebounds. ' ' '