LOS ANGELES -- Steve Nash will be out of the Los Angeles Lakers lineup for at least two weeks with nerve root irritation. Quintin Demps Texans Jersey . The Lakers announced the latest injury setback for the two-time NBA MVP on Monday after Nash consulted with a back specialist. Nash played just 13 minutes in the Lakers loss to Minnesota on Sunday night before sitting out with pain in his back and hamstrings. He is expected to receive an epidural block on Tuesday, and will be evaluated in 10 days. "Im a little emotional," Nash said after Sundays game. "Its hard. I really want to play, and I really want to play the way Im accustomed to playing. To be so limited is frustrating, and also to not know (when) kind of a clean-ish bill of health is (possible) is a little daunting, too." Nash is the NBAs oldest player at 39. Although the Canadian star still shows flashes of his heyday as arguably the best point guard of his generation, he has struggled with injuries since shortly after joining the Lakers in summer 2012. He missed 32 of the Lakers 82 games last season, breaking his left leg in the second game before struggling with injuries affecting his back, hip and hamstrings down the stretch. He also missed Los Angeles last two playoff games despite getting several epidural shots for pain management. Nash has struggled with back pain for years, but his broken leg caused new woes. "Its nerves coming from my back," Nash said. "You could call it the back, you could call it the nerves. Im getting the pain in the hamstring. Its basically the same thing from the end of last year." The Lakers have attempted to be careful this fall with Nash, who is under contract for $18 million through next season. Despite sitting out two games already this season to conserve his health on back-to-back stretches of the schedule, Nash is averaging just 6.7 points and 4.8 assists. "Im concerned," Lakers coach Mike DAntoni said after Sundays game. "He was struggling physically tonight. You could see it on his face, and thats why I took him out. We shut him down, more or less, and he was struggling. .. Im hoping (Nash will recover), like everyone else is." Steve Blake, Jordan Farmar and Jodie Meeks all will get more playing time in the absence of both members of Los Angeles decorated backcourt. The Lakers have lost five of seven without Kobe Bryant, who still hasnt returned to practice from surgery on his torn Achilles tendon in April. Blake is off to a strong start to the season while playing both guard positions, averaging 10.0 points and 5.0 assists. Meeks is the Lakers leading scorer this season with 12.8 points per game. "I hate to see him struggling like that with injuries," Blake said of Nash. "Hopefully we can get him back." Los Angeles hosts New Orleans on Tuesday night. Brian Cushing Texans Jersey . -- Justin Verlander watched helplessly as his first pitch went sailing toward the outfield wall. Braxton Miller Jersey . Toronto FC has rejected multiple transfer bids to send the striker back to the England, meaning the 31-year-old Defoe will finish the MLS season in Toronto.Pittsburgh, PA (SportsNetwork.com) - Terry Rozier matched a career high with 26 points and 10th-ranked Louisville got its offense back on track in an 80-68 win over Pittsburgh at Petersen Events Center. After shooting just 29.5 percent that included a dreadful 4-of-25 rate from 3-point range in their last game, a 63-52 home loss to Duke eight days ago, the Cardinals hit on 65.2 percent of their field goal attempts in a strong bounce-back effort. Montrezl Harrell, playing for the first time since being stripped of his captains role by head coach Rick Pitino in a well-publicized move during the week, went 8-of-12 from the floor in an 18-point effort for Louisville (16-3, 4-2 ACC). Chris Jones buried 3-of-4 tries from beyond the arc en route to 17 points. Jamel Artis posted 18 points and eight rebounds for Pittsburgh (13-7, 3-4), with James Robinson recording 16 points and six assists in the loss and Michael Young finishing with 14 points and nine boards. The Cardinals came out on fire following their eight-day layoff, making good on a scorching 70.8 percent of their field goal tries in the first half while building a 40-30 lead at the break. Rozier led the way with 18 points on 8- of-11 shooting. Louisville didnt pull away until the latter stages of the opening frame, however. The Cardinals were up by only two with under 4 1/2 minutes to go before embarking on a 12-2 run to claim a 40-28 advantage. Rozier recorded five points during the tearr, which ended with Jones getting fouled while converting a layup off a steal and sinking the ensuing bonus shot with 1:58 left in the half. J.J. Watt Texans Jersey. The Panthers scored the first five points of the second half to pull within five, but Louisville countered with an 8-0 spurt and remained ahead by double digits over most of the duration. Harrell began the flurry with an emphatic dunk and Jones followed with a triple in front of Mangok Mathiangs 3-point play that extended the margin to 48-35 with under 13 minutes left. It was an 18-point spread after another Jones trey preceded Harrells inside bucket that put the Cardinals up 62-44 with 6:59 to play. The Panthers did make a late bid to get back in it, putting together an 8-2 flurry capped by an Artis jumper that cut the deficit to 66-58 with 4:05 remaining. Pitt didnt make another basket over the next 2 1/2 minutes, however, as the Cardinals put the game away with an 8-2 run. Game Notes Harrell reached the 1,000-point milestone with his first basket of the game, a layup less than four minutes in ... The Cardinals outscored Pittsburgh by a 40-18 margin in the paint and went 6-of-12 on 3-point attempts ... The Panthers shot just 37.3 percent overall and were 6-of-23 from beyond the arc ... The game marked the first meeting between the former Big East rivals in ACC play. Louisville won seven of its 12 matchups against Pitt in the Big East. Cheap Jerseys Cheap NFL Jerseys China Cheap Jerseys From China Authentic China Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys China Cheap NHL Jerseys Wholesale Jerseys ' ' '
