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05/30/2010 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant poured in 37 points as the Los Angeles Lakers gained their third straight trip to the NBA Finals with a 111-103 win over the Suns.
The defending NBA champions, who eliminated Phoenix in six games in the Western Conference finals, will have a familiar foe in the title series. For the second time in three years and for a record 12th time in NBA history, the Lakers will battle the Boston Celtics for the championship.
Last year, the Lakers secured their 15th title with a five-game victory over Orlando, but in 2008 Boston topped Los Angeles in six games. The Celtics, gunning for their record 18th title, are coming off a six-game series win over the Magic in the East finals. Game 1 will be Thursday in Los Angeles.
"Last time we played them, it was a great learning experience for us," Bryant said. "It taught us what it takes to be a champion. With the defensive intensity they play with, the tenacity they play with, we learned a great deal in that series."
Ron Artest, whose put-back gave the Lakers a dramatic 103-101 win in Game 5 on Thursday, ended with 25 points in the series clincher.
Amare Stoudemire led the way with 27 points for the Suns, who were denied their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. They've never won the championship. It was also possibly Stoudemire's final game in a Phoenix uniform, as he's due to be a free agent this summer.
"I think those guys down the stretch hit tough shots," Stoudemire said. "Once we went on a run Kobe was able to bail them out. Kobe had energy down the stretch. We had energy, we gave it all we got, we fought back in both games, we were able to make a game out of it but just down the stretch that 18 (point lead) gave them just enough to get over the hump."
Steve Nash recorded 21 points and nine assists, while Channing Frye ended with 12 points and 13 rebounds.
"Going into the series, I thought they were the better team, but I thought we had a chance to do something special," Nash said. "I think the last four or five days, I've been questioning who the better team is, and have had a lot of belief that maybe we were, or at least maybe we could find a way to win the series regardless. I think that's a tribute to my teammates, their attitude, commitment."
The Lakers, who snapped a seven-game playoff skid in Phoenix, are bidding to become the first repeat champion since they won three in a row (2000-02) with Bryant teaming with Shaquille O'Neal.
"After we came back in the playoffs last year, I ran into Paul Pierce in a complex where my daughter lives in LA," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I said, 'Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals.' So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry."
Bryant scored 24 points in the second half, but the Suns, who trailed by as many as 18 in the third, trimmed the margin to 95-90 on Stoudemire's layup midway through the fourth.
Nash's reverse layup had the Suns within 99-96, and the crowd at US Airways Center was buzzing with 2:19 remaining. Bryant, though, stemmed the tide by canning a tough jumper from the right side, then after a steal from Lamar Odom, Bryant made two foul shots.
Phoenix never got closer than five the rest of the way, and Bryant, under heavy pressure from Grant Hill, nailed a right wing shot with 34.2 seconds left for a 107-100 difference. Bryant then jokingly tapped Suns coach Alvin Gentry, who could only smile at the incredible shot.
It was tight throughout the opening quarter, but the Lakers came away with a 37-34 edge going to the second. LA scored nine in a row in the middle portion of the second, gaining a 51-43 advantage. Andrew Bynum threw down an alley-oop jam and Jordan Farmar capped the rally with a three-pointer.
Bryant's three-ball in the closing seconds provided a 65-53 difference at the half and the Lakers were in front by double digits virtually the entire third quarter. The lead ballooned to 85-67 following an Artest hook shot with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. It was 91-74 moving to the last quarter.
Game Notes
Odom had 12 rebounds...Derek Fisher scored 11 and Bynum 10 for the Lakers...Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic had 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Phoenix...Bryant has recorded at least 30 points in 10 of his last 11 playoff games. He has 75 career 30-plus point playoff contests, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and behind only Michael Jordan (109)...Boston won the first eight championship series against the Lakers and owns a 9-2 advantage in the Finals matchup. The two also played a pair of nail-biting contests this regular season with the Lakers coming away with a 90-89 edge at Boston on Bryant's game-winning shot. Bryant sat out the Celtics' 87-86 win at Staples Center on February 18...Sasha Vujacic was given a flagrant foul one for elbowing Dragic in the mouth just 42 seconds into the fourth quarter.
<< Giants pound listless Diamondbacks
San Francisco, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Rookie Buster Posey drove in his first
three major league runs and Jonathan Sanchez pitched five innings to win for
the first time in more than a month, as the Giants blasted Arizona, 12-1, in
the mid
<< De Rosario doubled leads TFC over San Jose
Santa Clara, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Toronto FC earned its first road victory of
the season with a 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes in Major League Soccer
action at Buck Shaw Stadium on Saturday night.
Dwayne De Rosario came on at halft
<< Old-school rematch: Lakers oust Suns to set up Finals date with Boston
Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant poured in 37 points as the Los
Angeles Lakers gained their third straight trip to the NBA Finals with a
111-103 win over the Suns.
The defending NBA champions, who eliminated Phoenix
<< RSL wins 5th straight, dominate K.C. 4-1
Sandy, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Real Salt Lake capped off a perfect May, going
5-0-0, with a 4-1 victory over the Kansas City Wizards in Major League Soccer
action at Rio Tinto Stadium on Saturday night.
RSL had four different goal scorers,
Henin defeats Sharapova to move into fourth round >>
Paris, France (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - After play was suspended because of
darkness, Justine Henin topped Maria Sharapova on Sunday to move into the
fourth round of the French Open.
The former world No. 1s were tied after two sets
Morales hits GW grand slam, but fractures leg in celebration >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kendry Morales blasted the game-winning grand
slam in the bottom of the 10th inning, but fractured his left leg during the
celebration in the Angels' 5-1 win over Seattle in the middle test of a three-
game se
Hernandez Munoz wins in Slovakia >>
Tale, Slovakia (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Maria Hernandez Munoz birdied the final two
holes on Sunday to win the Ladies Slovak Open, which was her first Ladies
European Tour event as a professional.
The Spanish rookie shot a two-under 70 o
Jays try to stay unbeaten versus O's >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Toronto Blue Jays have owned the Baltimore Orioles of
late and they will try to keep that dominance going today as the teams clash
in the finale of a three-game series at Rogers Centre.
On Saturday, Vernon Wells broke
Eastern Conference Playoff Betting Trends
We all know by now that the “public” loves to put their money on the FAVORITES and the OVERS. Just by taking a quick glance at Sportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends” it appears as is this tendency will continue as far as the Eastern Conference games are concerned. For the inaugural games of the first round, 69% of the early money is on Toronto -4.5; 59% of bettors prefer Chicago -4.5; 84% are backing Detroit -9; and 56% think Cleveland -11.5 is the way to go. As far as TOTALS are concerned, the only UNDER the “public” is backing is the Cleveland/ Washington game in which 83% are pounding the UNDER (190). Remember, there is no better way to predict a possible line change than by monitoring MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By determining who the “public” is backing, you can get the most ideal line for your bet. For example, if you are siding with the public you better place your bet before the line moves in the wrong direction. On the other side of the coin, if you prefer the team that the “public” is betting against; you might be able to get and extra ½ or even more by placing your bet a bit later. Under the “Betting Trends” section, Sportsbook.com also provides plenty of statistical data and trends in order for the bettor to make the most informed pick. Below are some extremely important trends for the first round opponents of the Eastern Conference match-ups, more can be found at MySportsbook.com
New Jersey Nets vs. Toronto Raptors
Toronto was the most reliable covering team this season with a 48-33-1 ATS record but covered the OVER only 41.5% of the time.
The last 20 times these teams have played, the TOTAL has gone UNDER 16 times.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Toronto is 33-19 ATS including 17-9 at home.
New Jersey has covered four games in a row while Toronto has failed to cover their last four games.
When playing a team with a winning record during the second half of the season, New Jersey was just 5-13 ATS this season.
After scoring 105 points or more, Toronto has covered the OVER only 28% of the time this season.
Miami Heat @ Chicago Bulls
Miami has failed to cover their last 7 games whereas Chicago has covered 6 out of their last 8 games.
Miami has covered the UNDER in four of their last five games whereas Chicago has covered the UNDER in five out of their last six.
When playing on Saturdays, Miami covered 80% of their games this season.
Away from home, Chicago is just 16-25 ATS this season.
At home, Miami covered the UNDER about 66% of the time whereas Chicago covered the UNDER about 61% of the time.
The last 13 times these teams have played each other, Chicago has covered 9 times.
In Miami’s last 11 road games, the UNDER covered 9 times.
Orlando Magic @ Detroit Pistons
Detroit has covered 5 out of their last 6 games.
Away from home, Detroit is 28-13 ATS but just 14-26-1 ATS at home.
At home, Orlando covered the UNDER 64% of the time while Detroit covered the UNDER in 63% of their away games.
The last five times these teams have played in Detroit, the OVER covered each time.
Versus Eastern Conference teams, Detroit is 8-17-1 ATS at home but 17-9 ATS away.
Detroit covered the spread 5 out of the last 6 times they played Orlando.
After a Division game, Orlando covered the UNDER 87% of the time this season.
Washington Wizards @ Cleveland Cavaliers
In a home game where the TOTAL is between 190 and 194.5 points, Cleveland is 9-1 ATS this season.
Washington has covered the UNDER in their last 6 games and in 8 of their last 9 games.
The last 6 times these teams have played each other, the UNDER covered each time.
When playing on 3 or more days of rest, Washington is just 18-37 ATS since 1996.
Since 1996, Washington is 28-16 ATS versus Cleveland including 11-5 over the last 3 seasons.
In their last 7 road games, Washington is 6-1 ATS.
Versus Eastern Conference teams at home, Washington is just 6-18-2 ATS.
For even more betting trends for not just the NBA but for all of the major sports, log on to Sportsbook.com and click on “Trends”. With only two months left in the NBA betting season it is important to be as well informed as possible in order to maximize your profit. Also for all of you poker players, check out MySportsbook.com’s “WSOP Low Bid Auction”. You could be on your way to Vegas to play against the world’s best poker players for under a buck.
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To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your basketball sportsbook needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
Oddsmakers have released the odds for the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award and Seattle Seahawks linebacker Aaron Curry has been made the opening favorite.
Seattle took Curry with the fourth overall pick in April's NFL draft and plan on inserting him into its starting lineup right away. The Hawks traded linebacker Julian Peterson in the offseason, so Curry is expected to have a significant role in Seattle's defense next year and that's one of the primary reasons he is the favorite to win the NFL ROY Award.
Oddsmakers from online sportsbook MySportsbook.com have made Curry a 5/1 favorite to win this year's NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award. Given that he was the best defensive prospect in this year's draft and how he'll have plenty of opportunities to make plays in '09, Curry offers a ton of value at 5/1.
Another thing working for Curry is the position he plays. A linebacker has won the defensive ROY award six straight times and eight of the last nine years. Jerod Mayo, Patrick Willis, DeMeco Ryans, Shawne Merriman, Jonathan Vilma, Terrell Suggs, Kendrell Bell and Brian Urlacher were the most recent linebackers to take home the award.
Following Curry at 5/1 are Tyson Jackson (Chiefs) at 7/1, James Laurinaitas (Rams) at 8/1, Brian Orakpo (Redskins) at 10/1, Rey Maualuga (Bengals) at 10/1 and Jerry Peria (Falcons) at 10/1.
All the players mentioned above are expected to start for their respective teams, but Jackson and Peria are going to have a tough time being recognized on a national level given they're both defensive linemen. D-linemen rarely put up the numbers that it takes to win an individual award like the ROY.
A couple of players with some value are Clay Matthews (Packers) at 12/1 and Larry English (Chargers) at 15/1. Matthews is expected to start at outside linebacker in Green Bay's new 3-4 defense and could rack up a ton of tackles. English, who was an impressive player at Northern Illinois, is expected to be a situational pass rusher for the Chargers and could rack up a ton of sacks.
For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award, see below. And for complete odds for the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Award, click the link provided.
2009 AP NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year Award
Robert Ayers (DEN) 12/1
Ron Brace (NE) 25/1
Everette Brown (CAR) 16/1
Darius Butler (NE) 40/1
Patrick Chung (NE) 30/1
Aaron Curry (SEA) 5/1
Brian Cushing (HOU) 12/1
Vontae Davis (MIA) 30/1
Louis Delmas (DET) 30/1
Larry English (SD) 15/1
Evander Hood (PIT) 25/1
Tyson Jackson (KC) 7/1
Malcolm Jenkins (NO) 25/1
Paul Kruger (BAL) 50/1
James Laurinaitas (STL) 8/1
Sen'Derrick Marks (TEN) 20/1
Clay Matthews (GB) 12/1
Aaron Maybin (BUF) 15/1
Rey Maualuga (CIN) 10/1
Roy Miller (TB) 20/1
Michael Mitchell (OAK) 45/1
Fili Moala (IND) 30/1
Brian Orakpo (WAS) 10/1
Jerry Peria (ATL) 10/1
B J Raji (GB) 7/1
Clint Sintim (NYG) 35/1
Alphonso Smith (DEN) 40/1
David Verkune (CLE) 20/1
Jason Williams (DAL) 30/1
Field (Any Other Player) 6/1
To visit this internet sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting needs.
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