The Chicago Bulls embark on their annual trek across America, aka the "Circus Road Trip," Thursday night when they visit the Pepsi Center to meet the Denver Nuggets. Tune in to catch the action on TSN at 10:30pm et/7:30pm pt. The circus comes to the United Center in Chicago and forces the Bulls to hit the road. It will be six games away from home for a Bulls team that has won five straight, but is also just 1-3 as a visitor this season. "The way weve always approached it -- and were not going to change -- is that were not looking at it as a long road trip," head coach Tom Thibodeau told the teams website. "Were just looking at it as getting ready for Denver. Thats why you want to establish a routine of preparation and you approach it the same way every game. If you look at it that way, prepare yourself and do the right things, the results will take care of themselves." As if a six-game road trip wasnt daunting enough, the Bulls announced on Wednesday that starting two guard Jimmy Butler didnt travel with the team. He has what is commonly referred to as turf toe and is listed as week-to-week. The Bulls collected their fifth straight win on Monday with an 86-81 home victory over the Charlotte Bobcats. Luol Deng led Chicago with 21 points and eight rebounds. Butler had 14 points, followed by 12 apiece from Derrick Rose and Carlos Boozer, who pulled down 17 rebounds in the win. Joakim Noah managed 11 points. Mondays victory came after the Bulls knocked the Indiana Pacers from the ranks of the unbeaten. They visit Portland, Los Angeles to take on the Clippers, Utah, Detroit and Cleveland before returning home on Dec. 2. The Nuggets have dropped two straight, although they were reasonable setbacks. Denver lost Saturday night in Houston, then fell to the Oklahoma City Thunder, 115-113 Monday night. The Nuggets held a double-digit lead in the fourth quarter against OKC, but succumbed to Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook and Serge Ibaka. Ty Lawson, who is off to an amazing start this season, netted a team-high 29 points. J.J. Hickson had 18 points and 19 rebounds, while Randy Foye, Evan Fournier and Nate Robinson scored in double figures. Thursdays contest will feature the seventh-best scoring team (Nuggets) against the second-best defense (Bulls). "Our offensive execution has to be on point," Denver coach Brian Shaw said. "Typically, their games are lower-scoring games and theyre kind of an ugly, grind-it-out style. You have to be able to score, which means you have to take care of the ball and get a shot on every possession." The Nuggets have won four straight over the Bulls and six in a row and 12 of 13 at home in this series. Cheap Drew Smyly Jersey .com) - The Carolina Hurricanes placed defenseman John-Michael Liles on injured reserve Tuesday. Cheap Mike Montgomery Jersey . -- All-Pro tight end Jimmy Graham and the New Orleans Saints met Tuesday for arbitration on his contract. http://www.cheapcubsjerseysauthentic.com...-heyward-jersey. The Islanders own the fifth pick in the 2014 draft but had until June 1 to decide whether to keep it or defer to 2015. The selection was packaged in the teams deal for Thomas Vanek on October 27, 2013. China Chicago Cubs Jerseys . -- Top-seed Shahar Peer and Canadian Eugenie Bouchard advanced to the second round of the inaugural WTA Citi Open. Cheap Javier Baez Jersey . PETERSBURG, Fla.HOUSTON -- After hitting just .136 last April, the Washington Nationals are certainly enjoying the way Adam LaRoche has started this season. LaRoche continued his hot start Tuesday night, hitting a tying double in the eighth inning and a go-ahead single in the ninth to lift the Nationals over the Houston Astros 4-3. "Its good for him because hes not traditionally a fast starter," manager Matt Williams said. "He really focused on it in spring training and really focused on driving one in. Hes going to hit homers with guys on base but that ones big for us as evidenced tonight. If he can do that the homers will come ... but when he can consistently drive runs in like that were a better team." Jayson Werth homered as the Nationals won the opener of the interleague series. Denard Span drew a leadoff walk in the ninth, stole second and advanced to third on a groundout. He scored on LaRoches hit to right field off Josh Fields (0-3). "When Im feeling pretty good, one, Im taking some walks and two, Im using the whole field," LaRoche said. LaRoche is hitting .312 with four home runs, 17 RBIs and 16 walks in 2014. Tyler Clippard (2-2) pitched a scoreless eighth for the win. Rafael Soriano walked two in a scoreless ninth for his fifth save. Werth hit fourth home run in the first inning. Houston scored three times in the third for a 3-2 lead, helped by rookie George Springers two-run single. Houston manager Bo Porter was troubled that his team let another one get away late. "Its very concerning, because our starting pitcher did a very good job," he said. "You feel like you are in position to win the game, you have the right guys matched up, and you just dont get it done." Werth singled to start the eighth and scored on LaRoches double to left-centre field. Center fielder Dexter Fowler tracked the ball to the wall, but it glanced off his glove as he crashed to the ground. The Nationals went on to load the bases before Chad Qualls struck out Jose Lobaton.dddddddddddd Washington starter Gio Gonzalez allowed five hits and three runs, striking out a season-high nine in six innings. Houstons Jarred Cosart gave up five hits, two runs and struck out six in six innings in his first career start against an NL team. Cosart hit Kevin Frandsen with a pitch to start the third inning and he scored on a double by Lobaton to make it 2-0. Houstons first hit was a double by Matt Dominguez to open the third and he moved up on a sacrifice bunt by Jonathan Villar. Fowlers two-out single cut Washingtons lead to 2-1 and extended his hitting streak to nine games. Jason Castro reached on a double when the ball bounced off the padding on the wall in left field -- Frandsen saved a run when he made a nifty no-look, backhanded stop on the carom. He said he simply got lucky on the play and shared what he told his teammates when they asked how he did it. "You stick your glove out and maybe some things go in there," he said with a laugh. Springers single on a line drive to left field put Houston ahead. The Nationals had another good defensive play when Span ran up Tals Hill in centre field and landed on his backside as he caught a fly ball hit by Dominguez for the second out of the fourth inning. NOTES: These teams wrap up the two-game series on Wednesday when Houston LHP Brett Oberholtzer opposes RHP Jordan Zimmermann. ... Washington OF Bryce Harper had surgery on his injured left thumb on Tuesday and will be out for an extended period of time. Harper was injured on Friday night against San Diego on a headfirst slide into third base on a triple. ... Houston RHP Scott Feldman, on the 15-day DL retroactive to April 18 with right biceps tendinitis, said he felt good after throwing 35 pitches in a bullpen session on Tuesday. He is eligible to come off the DL on May 3. ' ' '