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Garnett's all-around game boosts CelticsBasketball Betting Lines06/13/2010 - BOSTON (AP) -Kevin Garnett scored, rebounded and blocked shots. Steal the ball? He did that, too. Five times. Garnett's best all-around performance of the NBA finals lacked one memorable gesture. Boston's emotional leader didn't kiss the leprechaun symbol at center court the way he did two years ago moments after the Celtics won their 17th championship. But his brilliance in their 92-86 win over the Lakers on Sunday night helped the Celtics move one win away from their 18th title even though the clincher will have to come in Los Angeles. Leading 3-2, Boston can finish the series in Game 6 on Tuesday night or Game 7 on Thursday. In the Celtics final home game of the season, Garnett did it all - 18 points, 10 rebounds, three assists, two blocks, and those five steals. He sank his first five shots and didn't miss until 4:30 remained in the third quarter. He went 6 for 7 from the free throw line. And down the stretch, he made two critical plays. The Lakers cut the lead to 81-75 on a putback by Lamar Odom, and the Celtics called timeout with 6:02 left. When they came out of the break, Garnett connected from the foul line for an eight-point lead. He delivered again when Kobe Bryant tried to pass into the lane. Garnett got a hand on the ball, and he and Odom tied it up. Garnett won the jump ball, but Paul Pierce missed a shot on that possession. Rajon Rondo, though, tipped the ball in to give Boston an 87-75 lead with 3:55 remaining. Now the star who went as far as the Western Conference finals just once in 12 years with the Minnesota Timberwolves stands on the brink of his second championship in three years with the Celtics. During his trip to the West finals came in 2004, the Lakers were the opponent and a six-game elimination was the result. Garnett had 22 points and 17 rebounds in the last game, but also committed eight turnovers in the 96-90 loss. On Sunday, he had just 3. Garnett's worst game of the series was Game 2. The Celtics won 103-94 in Los Angeles but he had just six points and four rebounds with no steals or blocks. ``I'm down on myself about being proactive and being in the game and doing multiple things,'' Garnett said before practice Saturday. One day later, that's exactly what he did. When the game ended after a missed shot by the Lakers, Garnett stood under the Los Angeles basket, raised his right fist ever so slightly and walked calmly off the court. He has one more game to win. The Celtics leave for Los Angeles on Monday morning with a 3-2 series lead that Garnett helped build. He hopes to return Wednesday with another title.Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.
<< Gasol little more than a spectator to Kobe show
BOSTON (AP) -Pau Gasol finally got the ball with a chance to shoot, and Kevin Garnett sent it back at him.A few minutes later, the same thing happened.Gasol was little more than a spectator of the Kobe Bryant show in Game 5 of the NBA finals on Sund
<< Lakers-Celtics, Box
<< 2010 Near No-Hitters
<< McNamee claims Clemens' foundation paid for drugs
<< Pierce leads Celtics to halftime lead in Game 5
Lilly flirts with no-hitter as Cubs edge White Sox >>
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ted Lilly did not allow hit through eight innings and Chad Tracy drove in the game's lone run, as the Cubs avoided a sweep with a 1-0 win over the White Sox in the finale of their three-game interleague series at
Celtics hold off late charge by Lakers to take Game 5 >>
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Arizona State among teams advancing to CWS >>
Own goal damages Danes against Dutch >>
Betting the NFL preseasonRule No. 1 in the gamblers' handbook states, "Avoid sports betting on meaningless games." When you're drowning in a sea of baseball monotony, however, things change. Even a hint of pro football betting can persuade the most disciplined bettor to break a few rules. The NFL preseason is around the corner, with a tempting Hall of Fame match kicking off on Sunday. But bettors must stay vigilant. Wagering on NFL exhibition games is an entirely different beast than the regular season. Most fans don't recognize the players on the field because starters get as much action in August as Warcraft fans get on Prom night. The only certainty about the NFL this time of year is uncertainty – and yet there are some who say betting in August can be a gold mine. “I actually feel the NFL preseason presents solid profit opportunities for sharp bettors and handicappers,” Sports Expert Steve Merril explains. “My experience has been that the sportsbooks fear the preseason, which is evident by lower limits and massive moves.” The line moves are attributed to the limited knowledge available regarding playing-time distribution. One team’s top unit out on the field for one more series has an impact on the pointspread. Setting lines in the preseason often is a shot in the dark. “We base the betting lines mostly on public perception,” Pete Korner, founder of the Sports Club in Las Vegas, says. “It’s very tough to predict, almost a guessing game.” The preseason is all about figuring out who’s in and for how long. “It becomes a race between bettors and oddsmakers to find out how long the quarterbacks are going to stay in,” Korner admits. “If a sharp gets the information first, he could exploit an early line. I’m a full believer in moving the line in the preseason if the books find out something late in the week.” Determining what each team’s motive is can help bettors handicap. To do this you must pay close attention to the philosophies head coaches employ in exhibition play. “You need to know what a coach is trying to accomplish,” says Covers Expert Bryan Leonard. “Sometimes a new coach will want to instill a winning attitude. Others just want to make sure their starters don’t get hurt." So how do you distinguish who’s playing scared and who’s playing for keeps? “Head coaches on the hot seat or new coaches trying to implement a winning attitude usually try harder to win in the preseason,” Merril says. Cleveland Browns head coach Romeo Crennel fits this criteria. He’s entering his third season as the sideline boss and has yet to lead the Browns to more than six wins. Cleveland is an enticing bet as well because of the unresolved quarterback situation. General manager Phil Savage sacrificed the Browns’ first-round pick in next year’s draft for Brady Quinn, but the former Notre Dame quarterback hasn’t signed or reported to training camp yet. Charlie Frye and Derek Anderson split time at QB last season and it looks like either player (or even Quinn) could be the opening-day starter. “If a team has quarterback depth and the pecking order hasn’t been decided, it’s a big advantage,” Leonard says. Even in the third week of the preseason when starters generally play the most, the final outcome of the game is in the hands of fringe players. A team's talent, all the way down to the last man on the roster, is something to consider. The New England Patriots have long been considered one of the deeper teams in the NFL and coach Bill Belichick has said in the past he’s unafraid of stars getting hurt in games with nothing on the line. He shocked his colleagues in 2003 by playing some of his starters on special teams in the preseason. “We want to have the team ready to play a tough, physical game and preparation has to go into that and I imagine a certain amount of injuries go with it,” Belichick told the Providence Journal in August 2003. Bettors can only hope to find more teams that share the Pats' business-like approach to the preseason (New England is 17-9-3 against the spread since 2000) and take advantage of teams who detest the exhibition schedule. To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on football needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards. |
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