AUBURN HILLS, Mich. -- James Harden has made a living at the free throw line in recent years. This time, his touch was off when it mattered most.Harden, who entered the game shooting 82 percent from the line, missed five free throws in the final 3 minutes against the Detroit Pistons. Fortunately for the Houston Rockets, they were able to hold on in a 99-96 victory Monday night.Harden finished with 28 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds. He went 14 of 19 at the foul line, but only 4 of 9 in the fourth quarter.I had to laugh it off. Its funny, Harden said. But we all have games like this. I cant let it happen. I have to take my time, go up there concentrating on the free throw.Clint Capela added 15 points and 12 rebounds for the Rockets, who won their third straight game.We did not play well all night. I didnt think we were sharp, but we found a way to win, coach Mike DAntoni said. Its just a good win for everyone.Kentavious Caldwell-Pope scored 26 points and Andre Drummond had 13 points and 16 rebounds for Detroit, which has lost four in a row.With the Rockets clinging to a one-point lead and less than 10 seconds left, Harden made a free throw and missed the second, leaving Houston up 98-96.Drummond rebounded the miss and was immediately fouled by Capela with 4.6 seconds to go. Drummond missed both free throws and the Pistons fouled Harden, who again made one of two, giving Detroit a chance.Ive got to make free throws -- thats all, Harden said. Make free throws, win the game. Its pretty simple.Caldwell-Pope missed a halfcourt heave at the buzzer, handing Detroit its second straight close loss at home.Were going to have to toughen up to be able to accomplish what we want to accomplish, coach Stan Van Gundy said.Detroit led by 12 in the first quarter and took a 29-18 lead early in the second on Jon Leuers dunk. The Rockets, however, chipped away and tied it 43-all on Capelas alley-oop dunk from Harden with 4:11 left in the period.The Pistons regained a two-point edge, but Harden scored the final seven points of the first half to put Houston ahead 51-46.Houston stretched its lead to 11 in the third quarter and settled for a 79-75 advantage heading into the final period.The Pistons used an 8-0 run early in the fourth quarter to open an 85-82 lead. The teams went back and forth the rest of the way, and neither led by more than four points.Detroit, trailing 96-95 with 55 seconds left, had a chance to take the lead, but Ish Smith missed a layup. Harden made one free throw to leave Houston ahead 97-95 with 15.4 seconds left, and Caldwell-Pope answered with a free throw to get Detroit within one.TIP-INSRockets: Nene was assessed a Flagrant 1 foul in the third quarter after tripping Detroits Aron Baynes. The play was originally called a common foul, but after review it was changed to the Flagrant 1.Detroit: Marcus Morris nailed a 33-foot 3-pointer over Hardens outstretched hand to beat the third-quarter buzzer and cut Houstons lead to 79-75. The play was reviewed and replays showed the ball left Morris hands just in time.NO HOME COOKINGAfter starting the season 5-0 at home, the Pistons lost their second straight at the Palace. They lost Saturday to Boston 94-92 on Al Horfords last-second shot. Detroit is just 1-7 on the road.Its tough, especially coming off (the Boston loss), said Morris, who finished with 13 points. Weve got to find a way to play harder or just get rebounds.OFF TARGETThe Rockets were held under 100 points after surpassing the century mark in their previous seven games. Houston shot 44.9 percent from the field, including 32.3 percent from beyond the 3-point arc.We just have to continue to get better and continue to do good things down the stretch and win, Harden said. Thats all that matters.UP NEXTRockets: At home Wednesday against Toronto.Pistons: At home Wednesday against Miami. Cheap NFL Jerseys 2018 . Rob Manfred, baseballs chief operating officer, testified last week during the grievance filed by the players union to overturn Rodriguezs 211-game suspension. A person familiar with the hearing, speaking on condition of anonymity, told The Associated Press on Saturday that Manfred testified the sport wasnt concerned whether Bosch distributed performance-enhancing drugs to minors because MLBs interest was his relationship with players under investigation. Cheap MLB Jerseys . Clarke was injured while practicing on the Doha Golf Club range after the pro-am on Tuesday. The Northern Irishman arrived at the course on Wednesday hoping to start, but after hitting a few balls on the practice putting green Clarke advised officials he was not fit to play. http://www.cheapnflchinajerseysonline.com/ . Jane Virtanen scored two, and Alex Roach and Elliott Peterson rounded out the offence for the Hitmen (40-15-6). Brady Brassart chipped in with three assists. Colton McCarthy scored twice, Brayden Point had a goal and two assists, and Jack Rodewald also scored for the Warriors (15-35-9), who were 2 for 5 on the power play. Cheap Jerseys Online . MLS Commissioner Don Garber and Miami-Dade County Mayor Carlos Gimenez also will attend the session, which was announced Monday. The league has discussed placing its next two expansion teams in Miami and Atlanta. Wholesale Jerseys Online .In my heart and mind Im competing for India, luge competitor Shiva Keshavan told The Associated Press in an email interview. Every day Im flooded with messages from Indians all over the world telling me they are supporting me. NFL Nation reporters assess the top storylines to watch?for every team on Friday.NFC East | NFC North | NFC South | NFC West AFC East | AFC North| AFC South | AFC WestAFC EASTBuffalo BillsThe Bills wrapped up their practice week with a tamer session Thursday, which set the stage for Saturdays preseason opener against the Colts. Coach Rex Ryan confirmed that wide receiver?Sammy Watkins (foot), offensive tackle?Cordy Glenn (ankle) and guard?Richie Incognito (ribs) are unlikely to play. He added that the Bills are putting running back?Reggie Bush on ice to start the preseason and?LeSean McCoy isnt expected to receive much of a workload. -- Mike RodakMiami DolphinsAll eyes will be on rookie head coach Adam Gase as he makes his Dolphins debut Friday against the Giants. Gase, a former offensive coordinator in Denver and Chicago, is implementing his new scheme with the Dolphins and will call plays from the sideline. The preseason is a good opportunity for Gase to get in rhythm. -- James WalkerNew England PatriotsThe severity of the left arm/elbow injury sustained by rookie wide receiver?Malcolm Mitchell?is a top storyline to monitor, as the fourth-round pick had separated from his primary competition in practice over the past week, and that continued into Thursday nights preseason opener. But he left the game late in the second quarter and immediately went to the locker room, as he was clearly in pain. He finished with four catches for 55 yards. -- Mike ReissNew York JetsWhen the Jets evaluate the tape of Thursday nights win over the Jaguars, they will likely be impressed by some of their rookies -- namely linebackers Darron Lee and Jordan Jenkins and wide receiver Jalin Marshall. All flashed at times in the game. The biggest disappointment was kicker Ross Martin, who missed both field goal attempts. Incumbent Nick Folk can breathe easier. -- Rich CiminiAFC NORTHBaltimore RavensIf the preseason opener is any indication, the Ravens running back battle will be a heated one. With the Ravens resting Justin Forsett, each of Baltimores running backs proved to be playmakers, as they combined for 114 total yards and three touchdowns. Terrance West, who scored two touchdowns, is gaining more confidence and is looking like hell be a productive red-zone back at the very least. -- Jamison HensleyCincinnati BengalsWhen the Bengals and Vikings meet Friday at Paul Brown Stadium, youll want to keep an eye on receiver Tyler Boyd. The second-round pick should play several series as coaches evaluate what he can do both as an outside receiver and in the slot in game-like situations at this level. The rookie electrified his constantly changing college offense at Pitt. He has done the same so far in Cincinnati. Coach Marvin Lewis said Thursday that Boyd has exceeded his expectations. Hes taken it, and hes grasped it and ran with it, Lewis said of Boyds opportunity. -- Coley HarveyCleveland BrownsThe Browns get their first and truest look at Robert Griffin IIIs development in the preseason opener in Green Bay. Coach Hue Jackson said it best when he said hed see Griffin under duress when its tough, when the other team is really coming after you. Even in preseason, a real defense reveals far more than a scrimmage. -- Pat McManamonPittsburgh SteelersQuestion marks surrounding Ladarius Green leave the Steelers vulnerable at tight end. The NFL Network reported that Green has suffered from recurring headaches along with his recovery from offseason ankle surgery. The Steelers gave Green a $4.75-million signing bonus this offseason to help elevate the passing game. Now, though its early in the preseason and details are scarce, Greens role in the offense seems uncertain at best. -- Jeremy FowlerAFC SOUTHHouston TexansWhen the Texans get back on the field tomorrow with a joint practice with the 49ers, pay attention to how many reps quarterback Brock Osweiler gets. Earlier in the week, coach Bill OBrien said he wasnt sure how much Osweiler would play in the Texans first preseason opener?Sunday, but he might give an indication with how he divides reps among the three quarterbacks on Friday. -- Sarah BarshopIndianapolis ColtsThe Colts will have a walkthrough at their facility in Indianapolis before flying to Buffalo for Saturdays preseason game against the Bills. Quarterback Andrew Luck will play a series or two, depending on how long the drives last. Notable players who?wont play, according to coach Chuck Pagano: defensive linemen Art Jones, Henry Anderson and Kendall Langford, safety Clayton Geathers, offensive lineman Hugh Thornton and cornerback DJoun Smith. -- Mike WellsJacksonville JaguarsLinebacker Myles Jack got plenty of playing time Thursday against the Jets and ended up with two tackles. The second-round pick is getting more and more comfortable as camp progresses, and the Jaguars are OK with his pace. One other rookie made a big impact against the Jets, though: Defensive end Yannick Ngakoue recorded a sack, which was encouraging for the Jaguars because after flashing early in camp, he disappeared in the teams scrimmage. -- Mike DiRoccoTennessee TitansToo often through the preseason, flags have flown at Titans practices. The offense stalled itself by getting whistled at the Monday night scrimmage. Against the Chargers on Saturday at Nissan Stadium, the Titans need to show theyve sorted things out and can play clean. Poorly timed penalties were a big issue for the 2015 Titans, but things got better when coach Mike Mularkey took over. He expects his players to be diligent, disciplined and smart. -- Paul KuharskyAFC WESTDenver BroncosOn a night when the Broncos defense powered the team to yet another dominating win, Denver didnt see much separation in their quarterback battle. Mark Sanchez got the start and played the first quarter. He finished 10-of-13 passing for 99 yards, with a 32-yard touchdown toss to Demaryius Thomas?and?an interception. Trevor Siemian played the second quarter and would have had a touchdown if wide receiver Bennie Fowler had been able to maintain possession on a quality throw to his back shoulder. Siemian was 7-of-12 for 88 yards for the night. Both were efficient and helped the team move the ball as the Broncos outgained the Bears 344-130 yards. Rookie Paxton Lynch played the second half and went 6-of-7 passing for 74 yards. -- Jeff LegwoldKansas City ChiefsTight end Ross Travis is among the players the Chiefs want to get a long look at in Saturdays preseason opener against the Seahawks. Travis played basketball but not football at Penn State. He joined the Chiefs practice squad last year after the preseason was finished, so this will be the teams first look at him in a game. Travis has been impressive as a receiver in training camp and has delivered more catches in team drills than any of the Chiefs tight ends except starter Travis Kelce. -- Adam TeicherOakland RaidersWhether or not first-round pick Karl Joseph, who is being mindful of his rebuilt right knee, plays in Friday nights preseason opener at Arizona matters little to Raiders quarterback Derek Carr?-- not after the rookie string safety picked him off with an acrobatic, end zone interception in practice this week. When he went up and made that play, I was extremely happy because if hes not just a hitter, he can do those kinds of things too, Carr said. Thats really good for our team ... hes going to be a great player. -- Paul GutierrezSan Diego ChargersThe Chargers will have a short walkthrough?Friday before they board a plane and?travel to Nashville for the teams preseason opener Saturday against the Titans. It will be the first time quarterback Zach Mettenberger faces his former team since the Titans waived him three months ago. Really, its just another game, Mettenberger said. Obviously, going back to your former team is always awkward, I guess, just hearing from other guys. But our focus is about ourselves, not anything surrounding the game or where its at. -- Eric D. WilliamsNFC EASTDallas CowboysWith a roughly 60-mile drive to Los Angeles ahead of them, the Cowboys will remain in Oxnard on Friday and bus down to L.A. on Saturday morning. They will stop at a hotel and holdd a brief walkthrough and a team meal before heading to the Coliseum for the 5 p.ddddddddddddm. PT kickoff against the Los Angeles Rams. The players will then be off until 11 p.m. PT Sunday. Does Jason Garrett worry about his team being that close to Hollywood on a weekend? Not really, he said. Do you? It all depends on what happens. -- Todd ArcherNew York GiantsDefensive end Olivier Vernon has stood out in his first summer as a Giant, constantly finding his way into the backfield during training camp practices. Friday night will be the first look at Vernon and the Giants rebuilt defense in game action, as they host the Dolphins in their preseason opener at MetLife Stadium. It will also be the first NFL game experience for highly regarded rookies Eli Apple, Sterling Shepard and Darian Thompson. They will see first-team action. -- Jordan RaananPhiladelphia EaglesThe Eagles are off the day after their 17-9 preseason victory over the Buccaneers. Quarterback Carson Wentz might spend his day off with an ice pack after he took a shot in the rib cage late in his NFL debut. Knocked the wind out, Wentz said. Yeah, Ill probably feel that tomorrow. Wentz completed 12 of 24 passes for 89 yards and an interception that sailed on me. -- Phil SheridanWashington RedskinsThe Redskins absolutely need to improve their run game after Thursdays opener at Atlanta. The blocking did not generate much push, but the backs also didnt help themselves by creating -- nor did they get much yards after contact in the first half. Matt Jones only rushed twice so its hard to get a good feel, but it wasnt a good night and rookie Keith Marshall tried to bounce too many runs outside. It has to be a concern. -- John KeimNFC NORTHChicago BearsThe Bears survived their preseason debut without any serious injuries. With an extra day off to rest, they could return most of their starters on offense Saturday, when the club begins preparing to travel to New England next week. Alshon Jeffery, who started the first exhibition game, is officially back in the mix, and receiver Eddie Royal and tight end Zach Miller?look close to returning from concussions. Both Royal and Miller worked out at Soldier Field prior to Thursdays game against Denver. The Bears have to clean up a ton of mistakes from the Broncos game, but at least the overall health of the team is trending in the right direction. -- Jeff DickersonDetroit LionsDont be surprised if you see fewer starters than usual for the Lions on Friday in the preseason opener against Pittsburgh. The benefit of joint practices with the Steelers was more evaluations for the Detroit coaching staff and better reps than intrasquad work. Coach Jim Caldwell said the team might use some known-quantity vets a bit less Friday night to get some younger players and players competing for jobs longer looks. What does that mean? Probably that you wont see much of Matthew Stafford, Haloti Ngata or Ezekiel Ansah, but you might learn a bunch about receivers Jay Lee and Quinshad Davis along with defensive tackle AShawn Robinson and safety Miles Killebrew. -- Michael RothsteinGreen Bay PackersKeep an eye on two rookies who will make their NFL debuts Friday against the Browns: Kenny Clark and Blake Martinez. The first- and fourth-round picks, respectively, look like they have already carved out big roles on the Packers defense. Clark almost certainly will be called upon to stop the run and get after the quarterback, while Martinez is expected to be the defensive signal-caller from his inside linebacker position. If that seems like a lot for a rookie to handle, consider what veteran linebacker Sam Barrington said of Martinez: Blake communicates better than any inside linebacker that Ive been in there with. -- Rob DemovskyMinnesota VikingsIf cornerback?Terence Newman doesnt play Friday after missing the entire week of practice because of a leg injury, 2015 first-round pick Trae Waynes will get a big opportunity to show how much progress he has made in a year. Waynes first preseason game a year ago was a messy outing for him, but the Vikings have been encouraged by some of the growth the Michigan State product has shown this year. It seems likely hell start at left cornerback and get some time to show what he can do. -- Ben GoesslingNFC SOUTHAtlanta FalconsComing off the first preseason game, the Falcons primary concern has to be making sure quarterback?Matt Ryan is on target by the regular season. His 0-for-4 showing against the Redskins on Thursday might not have been as big a deal had he not thrown a couple bad balls, but he missed Julio Jones too high and too low. Falcons coach Dan Quinn said he wasnt worried about the handful of interceptions Ryan threw in the first part of training camp. This is a crucial season for Ryan, and he has to be at the top of his game. -- Vaughn McClureCarolina PanthersPanthers coach Ron Rivera likely will put emphasis on the backup offensive and defensive lines when players resume practice Saturday. Both sides were pushed around at times in the preseason opener at Baltimore. The defensive side in particular has to be a concern, given the way Carolina rotates its tackles and ends. -- David NewtonNew Orleans SaintsThe Saints defense played much better in their preseason-opening loss at New England than the 34-22 score would suggest. They held the Patriots to a total of 25 yards on three drives in the first quarter. That is yet another sign of progress for a New Orleans defense that has struggled badly in recent years. The Saints might have suffered a big hit if second-year linebacker Stephone Anthonys injury is significant, but they have better depth there. Linebackers Dannell Ellerbe, James Laurinaitis and Nate Stupar made some of the biggest plays of the night Thursday, and Craig Robertson has been solid all summer. -- Mike TriplettTampa Bay BuccaneersThe Bucs looked downright sloppy in Dirk Koetters head-coaching debut. They turned the ball over five times and had what Koetter called some of the worst special teams play Ive seen in my life. Kenny Bell lost a fumble on a kickoff return, and Roberto Aguayo missed an extra point. The Bucs also had 10 penalties, an area theyve worked hard to clean up. The defensive line produced four sacks in the first half, which was a bright spot in the Bucs loss to the Eagles. -- Jenna LaineNFC WESTArizona CardinalsFriday will be an important day in the progress of right tackle D.J. Humphries. Even though he might get 20 snaps at most, how the second-year offensive lineman fares against the likes of Khalil Mack & Co. will give Cardinals coaches a better sense of how far he has come since not playing a down all of the previous season. -- Josh WeinfussLos Angeles RamsHow excited is Los Angeles to have the Rams back? The Rams are selling seats in areas of the Coliseum they had not planned to -- the upper level corners -- for the preseason opener Saturday. The Rams host the Cowboys in the first NFL game in Los Angeles since 1994. The team currently has 80,000 tickets available, up from the original 70,000. The Rams could add tickets and draw close to the stadiums capacity of 91,000. -- ESPN.com staffSan Francisco 49ersThe 49ers will get their first taste of an opponent Friday, when they hold a joint practice with the Texans. It will be the first step in gauging their quarterback competition between Blaine Gabbert and Colin Kaepernick in a setting that isnt all 49ers all the time. Kaepernick took what the team called a planned off-day on Thursday. That came on the heels of a rough outing Wednesday and some extra attention from the training staff during Tuesdays practice. -- Nick WagonerSeattle SeahawksOne player to keep an eye on Saturday in the Seahawks preseason opener is backup quarterback Trevone Boykin. Boykin, an undrafted free agent, would be the No. 2 guy behind Russell Wilson if the regular season were to start today. With a good preseason, he could nail down the job. If he struggles, the Seahawks will likely look elsewhere for veteran help. -- Sheil Kapadia ' ' '