HOUSTON -- It marked another blistering start in a young season full of them for the Rockets, a burst from the starting gate that both propelled Houston to victory and put its opponent in a hole that proved impossible to escape from.The Rockets attempted to blitz another foe when they host the Brooklyn Nets on Monday.Even on the second night of a back-to-back the Rockets (17-7) found the energy to muster a 36-point first quarter against the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night, a surge strong enough to carry them through lulls in the second and third periods en route to a 109-87 home victory.Houston has made a habit of fast starts and paces the NBA in first-quarter scoring at 31.5 points per game, nearly a full point ahead of the Cavaliers who rank second averaging 30.8 points in the first quarter this season.We played well in the first quarter, said Rockets reserve guard Eric Gordon, who tallied six points in six minutes off the bench in the opening period. I think teams are trying to figure us out. We score a lot in the first quarter.With James (Harden) being the point guard, its always going to be trouble for the other team.Harden played the entire first quarter against Dallas and posted 13 points (on 3-of-4 shooting) and seven assists to lead the Rockets on their opening kick. In nine home games this season Harden is averaging 11.4 points (on 67.4 percent shooting) and 3.7 assists in the first period.Setting such a blistering early pace has enabled the Rockets to weather all variations of opposing storms, and that consistent first-quarter production is behind their fast start out of the gate.Yeah, were starting to find (balance). Were getting better but were still not where we want to be, Harden said. Especially in the first quarter. We want to get off to a really good start.The Nets (6-16) dropped to 1-9 on the road with their 130-101 loss in San Antonio on Saturday night. They continue to trudge on without guard Jeremy Lin, who has been sidelined for 17 games with a left hamstring strain. The Nets have missed 50 games due to injury this season.Lin was off to a solid start in Brooklyn, averaging 15.0 points and 6.2 assists over five games before being sidelined. He returned to practice late last week but the Nets have not set a date for his return, choosing instead to follow a cautious path.I wanted to come back as early as I can obviously but were taking a healthier approach in terms of making sure that this wont bother me again, Lin said. Sometimes that takes a little bit longer.I really appreciate this staff and what theyve done to try to help me in terms of everything.While showcasing patience, Brooklyn also needs the reinforcements. The Nets have dropped 11 of 13 and are struggling mightily to pair their hastened style of play with any semblance of defensive functionality. Brooklyn leads the NBA in pace at 101.6 possessions per 48 minutes and ranks 29th in defensive rating at 112.1 points allowed per 100 possessions. Minnesota Twins Gear . Neymar curled home a free kick from just outside the area to put the 2014 World Cup host ahead in the 44th minute. Three minutes after the break, a simple through pass from Paulinho freed Oscar and the Chelsea star rounded goalkeeper Jung Sung-ryong to extend Brazils lead. Custom Minnesota Twins Jerseys . -- Jaye Marie Green shot a 4-under 68 on Thursday to increase her lead to five strokes after the second round of the LPGA Tours qualifying tournament. https://www.cheaptwins.com/ . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Wholesale Twins Jerseys . There was no hesitation from the 40th-ranked Pospisil, from Vernon, B.C., who admitted that he cut back on his training sessions over the last few days to conserve energy as the long ATP season finishes next week at the Paris Masters. Minnesota Twins Store . A lawyer for MLB, Matthew Menchel, confirmed Wednesday the league dropped its case against Biogenesis of America, its owner Anthony Bosch and several other individuals. The lawsuit had accused Biogenesis and Bosch of conspiring with players to violate their contracts by providing them with banned performance-enhancing substances.Youre only as good as your Canadian talent. In the CFL that axiom rings true more often than not. Its imperative that teams maximize every opportunity to acquire quality non-imports and if they can find someone who can start at a non-traditional Canadian position hes worth his weight in gold. The Argos are hoping two relatively low-profile players can increase their value this year. David Lees progression has been nothing short of phenomenal. His name wasnt called in the 2012 CFL Draft and it didnt exactly cause a lot of excitement when the Western product signed as a free agent in late May. By the end of the season Lees play had made Ricky Foley expendable, but in the meantime the student had absorbed ample information from the mentor. "I really learned that even though youre a Canadian, even though you may not have as many years of experience, if youre athletic, if youre dedicated and you work hard you can get a chance to succeed". Lee worked his way onto the roster and eventually found himself getting more and more game action as the season wore on. By the end of the year he found himself playing in the Grey Cup game and contributing as more than just a guy with non-import status. That progression isnt lost on Head Coach Scott Milanovich. "David did a great job last year. Hes one of those guys whos always in the right place, always overachieving". Being positionally sound is a tremendous advantage for a young player trying to make an impact. Lee devoured the playbook of Defensive Coordinator Chris Jones and took to it like a bear to honey. "Chris system is actually pretty intuitive. He teaches the whole system so you learn everything, so on the fly I can drop off and do someone elses responsibility. This has actually been one of the systems thats been easier for me because its very logical". Logic would dictate that another relative newcomer would eventually be able to contribute to the Argos. Joel Reinders is a mountain of a man who is only entering his fifth season of competitive football. He enrolled at the University of Waterloo as a basketball player, but converted to football, a sport he had never played before, in 2008. Reinders went from Waterloo to the NFL. After trying his hand at four-down football Reinders headed north and joined the Argos last August. He spent most of the season on the practice roster before getting a chancce to play in the final regular-season game.dddddddddddd He also would dress for Torontos three playoff games. At 68", 315 pounds the Oakville native is imposing off the field, but now wants to make that same impact between the lines. "Ive got a little more experience with the half season last year so I know the playbook." Now its up to the coaching staff to determine not only when, but where Reinders fits into the lineup, a question Milanovich and company are doing their best to resolve. "Were still trying to figure out where Joel is going to fit best, whether its guard or tackle. He made a good transition last year and he played pretty well in week 18. Im looking forward to seeing him play (in next weeks pre-season game in Winnipeg) because hes going to get a lot of playing time". Reinders versatility will help him over the course of his career, but learning multiple positions didnt come easily. "I was originally more comfortable at tackle because thats all I had played" Reinders told TSN.ca. "I was very uncomfortable at guard to start, but I played a lot inside last year, essentially in the playoffs and Grey Cup, but right now Ive adapted to all three spots; tight end, guard and tackle". The 25-year-old will be hard to keep off the roster if he performs well in the clubs two pre-season games. Notes: Milanovich gave his players a bit of a break on Wednesday. After three consecutive two-a-days he had just one on-field session. "The fourth day of two-a-days can be tough and theyve been working hard so were going to try to bring their legs back a little". The Argos had a similar camp schedule a year ago. It also helped that the pace of the first six practices was great, but Milanovich joked "If the tempo changes this will never happen again"...Centre Jeff Keeping was back Wednesday after missing two days with a minor leg injury...The head coach said he was most happy with "the lack of busts" by the offence so far. He said a lot of things need work. "Were getting into more difficult blitzes and how were going to protect those"...Among those in attendance today was long-time kicker Noel Prefontaine, who was not re-signed by the Argos after the Grey Cup win...The teams annual Double Blue Game will be held at their Erindale facility this Saturday at 1:30pm. Admission is free. ' ' '