DENVER -- The Denver Nuggets are getting good at bittersweet moments. Ryan McBean Jersey. Andre Iguodala scored 28 points and the Nuggets set an NBA franchise record with their 55th win Sunday, beating the short-handed Portland Trail Blazers 118-109 but losing another starter. On the day Ty Lawson (right heel) returned to Denvers starting lineup for the first time since March 27 and played an encouraging 31 minutes, forward Kenneth Faried sprained his left ankle in the opening minutes while driving for a layup and didnt return. "Were dropping like flies, man," Lawson said. "Well, its not too serious, I heard, so he might be out for a week or so. Hes a tough guy." Although X-rays were negative, coach George Karl stressed that he didnt want to guess about Farieds availability for the playoffs that start next weekend until after his top rebounder goes for an MRI on Monday. The Nuggets tweeted this quote from Faried two hours after the game: "Extremely scared. I never felt a pain like that a day in my life." He also said hed be ready for the playoffs: "I know I will be out there. If I can walk, I can play." Faried crumpled to the floor, covering his face and holding his left ankle as the Nuggets called a timeout less than three minutes into the game. The Pepsi Center crowd grew quiet -- the way it had 10 days earlier when forward Danilo Gallinari blew out his left ACL driving to the same hoop against Dallas. In an all-too-familiar sight, Quincy Miller and Anthony Randolph helped their teammate as he gingerly walked off the court, a towel covering his face. Randolph would get some of Farieds minutes and finish with 18 points. Faried was averaging 11.7 points and a team-best 9.3 rebounds. "I felt like we were snakebit or bad luck had come our way, our karma had turned the wrong way," Karl said. "I kind of saw it and then when he stayed down, I was worried. I dont think anythings broken. But well find out much more tomorrow." As they did when Gallinari went down, the Nuggets rallied behind their latest fallen starter, and grabbed a piece of history with their 55th win. The Nuggets, who went 54-28 in both 1987-88 and 2008-09, also extended their franchise-best winning streak at home to 22 straight games but more importantly they moved a game ahead of the Clippers and Grizzlies in the race for the third seed in the Western Conference. The Nuggets (55-25) can clinch home-court advantage in the first round with a win at Milwaukee on Monday night or a victory over Phoenix at home on Wednesday night. "Its a wow year for me," Karl said. "Ive had a few before. I havent had one since I was in Seattle, though. Ive had the privilege to be on teams that won 60 a couple of times. Thats pretty good. Fifty-five is the next-best thing. "I do idealistic and realistic predictions and I thought the most we could squeeze out this year was 54, so were above and beyond. I admire how much guys have stayed in this season and fought through some tough moments and continue to improve. So, its a pretty special year." Karl was thrilled at Lawsons return to the starting lineup. He had 12 points and 10 assists less than 48 hours after playing 20 minutes at Dallas. "I dont think I could have asked for a better script out of Ty these last two games," Karl said. Lawson said hes completely confident in his right heel now. "Oh yeah, I think so. I pushed off it actually today going to the basket a couple of times, so I think Im confident and just probably one or two more games Ill be back to regular," he said. Iguodala also grabbed seven rebounds, dished out nine assists, blocked three shots and had three steals to go with his 28 points, marking the first time in his career hed posted those numbers in a game. And rookie Evan Fournier scored 24 points in his second career start, sinking a pair of crucial 3-pointers in the closing minutes after the Trail Blazers had cut a 20-point deficit to 104-101 with 3:33 left. Portland was without three starters: LaMarcus Aldridge (right ankle), Wesley Matthews (right ankle) and Nicolas Batum (right shoulder), so coach Terry Stotts started four rookies, including Damian Lillard, who led the Trail Blazers with 30 points but also had eight of their 23 turnovers as Portland lost its 11th straight. After Denver built a seemingly safe 83-63 lead, the Blazers made a game of it. J.J. Hicksons free throw with 3:33 left made it 104-101, but that was as close as it got. It was 106-102 when Lawson sank two free throws and Fournier swished a 3-pointer from the left corner to give Denver some breathing room. Fourniers 3-pointer from the other side made it 118-107, and their 55th win was secure. "Ty Lawson just made some plays that we didnt have answers for," Stotts said. "But we played much better in the second half." Karl would have preferred a blowout but said the tight game might pay dividends down the road, especially with so many backups playing key roles down the stretch. With Gallinari done for the season and uncertainty surrounding Faried, the Nuggets hopes of a strong playoff run will depend on what they get out of their deep lineup. "Its a really good team," Iguodala said. "And its been a really good year for us. But we dont want to get satisfied. Weve still got work to do. We cant just settle for 55. Weve got to try to get to 57." With 55 wins, Lawson said this team has to be considered among the best in franchise history, "so hopefully it translates to the playoffs and we try to do what no Nuggets have ever done." Win it all. Notes: By improving to an NBA-best 37-3 at home, they also set a record Sunday for most home wins in a season since joining the NBA 37 years ago. Denver went 36-5 at home under Larry Brown in 1976-77. ... Portland has lost nine straight and 23 of its last 25 games in Denver. Bryant McKinnie Jersey. Instead, their early momentum was snuffed out by all-too-familiar base-running gaffes. The Yankees, meanwhile, took advantage of their chances and powered their way to an 11-4 victory in front of 25,875 spectators at Rogers Centre. Dennis Pitta Jersey. The team announced Wednesday that Frings, a former German international, will return for pre-season action in 2013. Frings played all 90-plus minutes of Torontos 3-1 CONCACAF Champions League loss to Houston in late August, but he was left off the roster for the Reds last two Major League Soccer games, suggesting the veteran midfielder had suffered a nagging injury. http://www.shopravensgear.us/christian-thompson-ravens-jersey/. -- Kobe Bryant is sitting out the Los Angeles Lakers preseason game against Portland on Wednesday night with a strained right shoulder. Jameel McClain Jersey. Catch all of the action on TSN2 at 7:30pm et/4:30pm pt. The Raptors have lost two in a row, three of four and seven of nine. The most recent setback came at home against the Golden State Warriors on Monday. Golden State earned the 114-102 victory thanks to seven players in double figures. Lardarius Webb Jersey. Whether youre sacrificing a high pick to secure an elite passer, waiting for the middle rounds to lock up a veteran, or sitting back and rolling the dice on a late sleeper, the importance of finding a quality starter has become as vital to winning in fantasy football as it is in the NFL.DETROIT -- Brad Penny is trying to work faster, taking less time between pitches when hes on the mound. Of course, the only real way to speed up the game is by getting the other team out. Penny allowed four runs in the first inning but managed to settle down, and his Detroit teammates slugged their way back from the early deficit, beating the Minnesota Twins 8-4 on Friday night. Penny allowed hits to five of the first 10 hitters he faced -- then no more after that. The game was played in a reasonably brisk 2 hours, 46 minutes -- following a 51-minute rain delay at the start. "It felt good, except for the two-hour inning I had out there," Penny joked. "Im switching some things with my hands and trying to be a little quicker, and I felt for the most part, I was." Alex Avila hit a three-run homer in the second inning and Ramon Santiago added a two-run shot in the fourth for the Tigers, who won their seventh straight game. Detroits magic number to clinch the AL Central is 10, and the Tigers lead second-place Chicago by 9 1/2 games. Detroit has won 17 of 21. "This team, theyve been doing this all year. Theyre going to score a lot of runs," Penny said. "If you can keep them somewhat close, youve got a chance to win." Penny (10-10) allowed four runs and five hits in five innings. Kevin Slowey (0-5) allowed six runs and seven hits in four innings. The Twins have lost six of seven and 15 of 19. Detroit manager Jim Leyland said before the game hed talked to Penny about picking up the pace and not working so slowly. Whatever adjustments Penny made didnt seem to be working in the first inning. Jason Kubel hit an RBI single, Danny Valencia followed with a two-run triple, and Chris Parmelee added an RBI single to make it 4-0. The first two Minnesota hitters in the second inning reached base, but Penny got out of that jam. "He didnt have much more margin for error," Leyland said. "That I can promise you." In Pennys previous start, Detroit rallied from an 8-1 deficit to beat the White Sox 9-8, and the Tigers didnt stay down for long in this one. Avila started the comeback with an opposite-field homer, his 18th of the season. Haloti Ngata Jersey. Then, in the fourth, Wilson Betemit tied it with an RBI triple. Santiago followed with his fifth homer of the season to make it 6-4. Hes hit four of those homers since Aug. 14 -- about the time Detroit began pulling away from the rest of the division. "Theres a point when you have so much confidence in your offence that you are never going to panic when you get behind early," Minnesota manager Ron Gardenhire said. "I imagine thats how they must be feeling right now -- that they are swinging the bats so well that they are always going to have a chance to come back." Delmon Young -- traded from the Twins to the Tigers last month -- added a solo homer in the fifth to make it 7-4. Young has eight homers on the season, including four in only 23 games with Detroit. Minnesotas Joe Mauer started at catcher, the first time hes played the position since Aug. 20. Hes played only 78 games this season because of a variety of injuries. Mauer singled and scored in the first, but was charged with a passed ball in the eighth. Brandon Inge hit a sacrifice fly in the eighth to make it 8-4, denying Jose Valverde a chance to set a new franchise record for saves. Valverde has 42 this season, equaling Todd Jones mark from 2000. Valverde pitched the ninth anyway. NOTES: Twins OF Ben Revere looked like he might be hurt after an inside pitch around his right wrist in the seventh, but he stayed in the game. Daniel Schlereth, the Detroit pitcher, said he thought the ball hit the bat. "Pretty good acting job," Schlereth said. ... The Tigers officially placed OF Brennan Boesch on the 15-day disabled list. Boesch is not expected back this season after surgery on his right thumb. ... Minnesota LHP Francisco Liriano, who is recovering from a shoulder injury, is expected to throw a bullpen session Sunday. ... ... Max Scherzer (14-8) takes the mound for Detroit on Saturday against Minnesotas Anthony Swarzak (3-6). ... The Tigers are 12-4 against the Twins this year. ' ' '