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02/12/2007 -
The Boston Celtics are in a record-breaking rut that has shaken their confidence and damaged the image of a once-proud franchise.
``You can feel it in the locker room, each loss definitely hurts,'' Paul Pierce said. ``These guys are going to keep playing hard. We just need to get it out of our head.''
Easier said than done, especially when you've lost a franchise-record 18 consecutive games. The latest loss came Sunday when Ricky Davis' jumper from the corner with 0.2 seconds remaining lifted the Minnesota Timberwolves to a 109-107 victory.
``It is tough, the guys played so hard and deserve to win,'' said Pierce, who scored 29 points. ``We did everything we could. Down the stretch, they made the last play.''
The Celtics' previous franchise low was 13 straight losses in 1993-94 and 1996-97. They've blown past that mark, and haven't won since beating Memphis on Jan. 5.
The Utah Jazz also lost 18 straight in 1982 and seven teams have lost 19 games in a row. The Celtics still have a ways to go to get to the NBA record of 24 straight losses by the Cleveland Cavaliers, a streak that spanned the end of the 1981-82 season and start of the 1982-83 season.
In other NBA games, it was: Chicago 116, Phoenix 103; Seattle 114, Sacramento 103; Cleveland 99, the Los Angeles Lakers 90; Miami 100, San Antonio 85; Indiana 94, the Los Angeles Clippers 80; Portland 94, Washington 73; Dallas 106, Philadelphia 89; and Atlanta 106, Golden State 105.
At Minneapolis, the Celtics led by 10 points in the first half and 107-105 with 1:17 to play after Pierce fed Al Jefferson for a dunk.
But Kevin Garnett tied it with two free throws, then got a steal on the defensive end to give the Wolves a chance to win it with 3.6 seconds left.
Rookie Randy Foye blew past Delonte West into the lane, forcing Pierce to leave Davis wide open on the wing to prevent an easy layup.
``Paul had to help. Paul had no choice,'' Boston coach Doc Rivers said. ``He is beating himself up in there, but he did the right thing. He had no choice but to help on that play.''
Davis, a former Celtic who spoke openly about not wanting to be the team that lets Boston snap its skid, had 18 of his 28 points in the third quarter.
``It was very important for us, pride-wise at least,'' Davis said for him and Mark Blount, also a former Celtic. ``It was a big game for us.''Bulls 116, Suns 103
Kirk Hinrich scored 14 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter, and Chicago snapped an eight-game losing streak in Phoenix and a three-game skid overall.
Chicago last beat the Suns on the road when the Michael Jordan-led Bulls did it on Nov. 20, 1996.
Phoenix played without Steve Nash, the league's two-time defending MVP, for the third consecutive game because of a sore right shoulder. The Suns also didn't have starter Boris Diaw because of back spasms.
The Suns were beaten by double digits for the first time this season.SuperSonics 114, Kings 103
Ray Allen scored 25 points and made a key 3-pointer late in the fourth quarter that helped Seattle win its second straight road game following a franchise-record 15-game skid away from home.
Sacramento cut a 22-point third-quarter deficit to two midway through the fourth quarter, but could never get over the hump.Cavaliers 99, Lakers 90
At Cleveland, Sasha Pavlovic scored 13 of his 21 points in the fourth quarter and the Cavaliers shut down Kobe Bryant in the final minutes.
LeBron James had 18 points, eight rebounds and five assists, but he deferred to Pavlovic and others down the stretch.
Bryant scored 36 points to lead the Lakers, but didn't score again in the final 3:39 after making two free throws to tie it at 81.Heat 100, Spurs 85
At Miami, Dwyane Wade scored 18 of his 26 points in the fourth quarter and the Heat held San Antonio without a field goal for more than 7 minutes down the stretch.
Wade hit seven of 10 shots in the final period, had a couple of highlight-quality blocks against Tony Parker midway through the fourth, and added seven assists as Miami beat San Antonio for the second time since Feb. 1, 2002.
Manu Ginobili had 26 points for the Spurs, who fell to 2-4 on their eight-game road trip.Pacers 94, Clippers 80
At Indianapolis, Jermaine O'Neal scored 21 points and set an Indiana franchise record for career blocked shots as the Pacers snapped a three-game losing streak.
O'Neal had four blocked shots, giving him 1,113 for his career with the Pacers and breaking the franchise record of 1,111 by former Pacers center Rik Smits.
Cuttino Mobley had 23 points for Los Angeles.Trail Blazers 94, Wizards 73
At Washington, Jarrett Jack and LaMarcus Aldridge scored 18 points apiece and the Trail Blazers held Gilbert Arenas to nine points.
Arenas, who vowed to score 50 in retaliation for Portland coach Nate McMillan's involvement with Arenas being left off the U.S. national team last summer, shot 3-for-15 from the field, including 0-for-8 on 3-pointers.Mavericks 106, 76ers 89
Dirk Nowitzki had 24 points and 11 rebounds, and the Mavericks built on their NBA-best 18-6 road record.
Jason Terry hit consecutive jumpers in the fourth quarter to help the Mavs stave off a surprising Sixers rally that saw them slice a 30-point deficit to eight. Nowitzki also added back-to-back baskets that pushed the lead back to 14.Hawks 106, Warriors 105
Josh Smith scored 11 of his 29 points in Atlanta's big first quarter and finished with 10 rebounds, leading the Hawks to their fifth straight road victory.
Joe Johnson added 21 points and 11 assists as Atlanta snapped a four-game losing streak in Oakland and dealt the Warriors only their ninth loss in 27 home games.
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.
<< Thrashers-Oilers, Sums
Atlanta 1 0 0-1Edmonton 1 3 1-5First Period-1, Atlanta, Belanger 9, 5:15. 2, Edmonton, Smyth 28 (Horcoff, Sykora), 9:40 (pp). Penalties-McCarthy, Atl (hooking), 9:16; Stortini, Edm (roughing), 9:54; Larsen, Atl (interference), 12:37; Kovalchuk, Atl
<< Stuart comes home in trade
DETROIT (AP) -Brad Stuart isn't even thinking about heading back to his home province.The veteran of nine NHL seasons and a native of Rocky Mountain House, Alberta, played his first game with the Calgary Flames on Sunday night. The team acquired him
<< Flames-Red Wings, Sums
Calgary 0 1 3-4Detroit 3 3 1-7First Period-1, Detroit, Zetterberg 25 (Williams, Cleary), 8:43. 2, Detroit, Datsyuk 17 (Holmstrom, Zetterberg), 12:44. 3, Detroit, Schneider 8 (Lilja, Hudler), 13:54. Penalties-Yelle, Cal (elbowing), 3:03;Lang, Det (ho
<< Forsberg meets with Snider; future still uncertain
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -Peter Forsberg's future with the Philadelphia Flyers is still uncertain, even after a meeting Sunday with team chairman Ed Snider.Forsberg and Snider agreed to meet again to discuss the team captain's future with the franchise.For
Senators' Emery suspended 3 games for slashing >>
TORONTO (AP) -Ottawa goalie Ray Emery was suspended three games by the NHL on Monday for slashing Montreal forward Maxim Lapierre.Emery got a minor penalty on the play, which occurred midway through the second period of Ottawa's 5-3 win Saturday nig
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WASHINGTON (AP) -Enforcer Donald Brashear signed a one-year, $1.1 million contract extension with the Washington Capitals on Monday.The 35-year-old left wing joined the Capitals as a free agent last summer, adding toughness to team that is rebuildin
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VOORHEES, N.J. (AP) -All Peter Forsberg has to do is tell the Philadelphia Flyers that he wants to re-sign with them or ask to be dealt to a contender before the Feb. 27 trade deadline.So far, at least publicly, Forsberg has kept that decision to hi
Capitals G Kolzig out 3 weeks >>
WASHINGTON (AP) -Washington Capitals goaltender Olie Kolzig hurt his knee Monday and will miss at least three weeks.The veteran goaltender was injured during a drill at practice, a major blow to the Capitals' slim hopes of making a run at the playof
MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds
With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season. What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season. Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all. Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13). Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two. Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury. Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven. Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury. Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons. Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4. Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1). The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this. No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.
Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend. Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend. With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.
MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:
Atlanta Hawks 1000-1
Boston Celtics 5000-1
Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1
Chicago Bulls 20-1
Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1
Dallas Mavericks 2-1
Denver Nuggets 25-1
Detroit Pistons 6-1
Golden State Warriors 250-1
Houston Rockets 12-1
Indiana Pacers 60-1
Los Angeles Clippers 45-1
Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1
Miami Heat 9-1
Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1
Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1
New Jersey Nets 50-1
New Orleans Hornets 150-1
New York Knicks 150-1
Orlando Magic 75-1
Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1
Phoenix Suns 5-2
Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1
Sacramento Kings 250-1
San Antonio Spurs 9-1
Seattle Sonics 5000-1
Toronto Raptors 35-1
Utah Jazz 20-1
Washington Wizards 25-1
About MySportsbook.com:
MySportsbook.com is the largest sportsbook and casino on the planet, where millions of adult Americans bet on sports, play poker and enjoy blackjack and other casino games online in a regulated and licensed jurisdiction. Named the "Best online Sports Book" by the industry's top magazine, eGaming Review, MySportsbook.com has been leading the online gaming industry since 1996. Dwarfing its nearest competitors in the US, MySportsbook.com has been the first to achieve every significant industry milestone, from record turnover to active users to number of bets--achieving a peak of fifteen bets per second. As the US online gaming leader, the firm and it's products have been featured on CBS 60 Minutes, CNN, ESPN, Wall Street Journal, Barrons, Financial Times, USA Today and in every major newspaper in the US.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
Recently I had an email debate with an angry reader who said I did not understand "the science of oddsmaking", as he called it.
He said I was wrong for suggesting oddsmakers care about who wins or loses games.
"Oddsmakers only care about splitting the betting public 50/50 on both sides of the line and keeping the commission (a.k.a. juice)," he wrote.
He might have been right about not understanding "the science of oddsmaking". After all, I'm not an oddsmaker. That said, I stick to my assertion that oddsmakers (a.k.a. sportbooks) often do care about who wins games.
Granted, as a general rule, sportsbooks try to balance their action so that they're not exposed to big losses. However, there are times when this is difficult to pull off, regardless of how much a line has moved. There are also times when that general rule is ignored and a book pursues risk.
Generally speaking, it's safe to say the books in Vegas are risk-adverse. Unlike in the past when the wise guys ruled the town, Vegas is now corporate and the goal of most casinos is to make as much money as possible with as little risk as possible.
Thus, Vegas sportsbooks try everything in their power to balance the action. They're satisfied simply collecting the juice. But these profits are small, especially compared to the take from other casino games, namely slot machines.
Because the profits at Vegas sportsbooks are so small, you could argue that many casinos operate sportsbooks simply as a novelty to keep the tourists happy.
With a growing aversion to risk, it should come as no surprise that Vegas bookmakers have been panicking this NFL season.
Despite huge pointspreads, a disproportionate percentage of bettors are still laying their money on favorites like the Eagles, Colts, Pats and Vikings rather than the dogs (a common trend for the largely recreational bettors that visit Vegas).
And much to the dismay of the books, those favorites are finding ways to cover the thick chalk. In fact, prior to Week 7, the four teams listed above are a combined 16-2-2 (88 percent) against the spread. (The tables turned dramatically in Week 7, but more on that later.)
The result has been an early-season beating for the books, and a bonanza for bettors.
While Vegas increasingly hates risk, it's no longer a major player in the sports betting world. Most of the betting action now takes place offshore where sportsbooks are not as obsessed about balance. In fact, some books encourage exposure to risk because the rewards can be so much bigger.
Consider MySportsbook.com. On its website, the book has odds pages which actually display the amount of action it's getting on games. In other words, you can see how much action the book is taking on both sides of a pointspread, moneyline or over/under.
One look at these numbers and it's obvious MySportsbook.com does not balance every game. In fact, far from it.
Take last weekend's matchup between St. Louis and Miami. By game time on Sunday, 83 percent of the betting action at MySportsbook.com was on the Rams; only 17 percent was on Miami.
What's interesting is that MySportsbook.com opened the pointspread with Miami at +6 1/2. By game time, the spread had lowered to +5.
That goes contrary to the balancing theory. If MySportsbook.com had wanted to balance the action, it would have given Miami more points; instead, it took away 1 1/2. World Series odds are now up as well.
MySportsbook.com exposed itself to even more to risk, and rolled the dice on the underdog Dolphins. Why? I contacted a representative with the book to find out. His answer was simple.
"The line moved early based on 'smart money' from sharp players," said Jeff Gilroy, a spokesperson for the book. "We also knew from early in the week that we would need Miami, therefore (we dropped) the spread to encourage Rams money.
"At the end of the day, we liked the home team."
So the conclusion is this: MySportsbook.com respected the sharp action, and gambled that the sharp bettors had a better take on the game than the recreational bettors, who were hammering the visiting Rams.
In the end, the gamble paid off. Miami, desperate for a win in front of its home fans, pounded the overrated Rams, who are terrible on the road and even worse on grass. Final score: 31-14 Fish.
MySportsbook.com was also heavily exposed on numerous favorites in Week 7, including Philadelphia, Seattle and Denver. All three failed to cover.
The fact that sportsbooks are exposed to risk on certain games is really nothing new. The fact, that Sportsbook.com is willing to show the public where it's exposed is intriguing.
Armed with this type of information, bettors can make more educated wagers. They can get an idea where the sharp money is going and conversely where the public money is headed.
MySportsbook.com is opening up its cashbox, letting bettors look inside and challenging them to take their best shot at grabbing the cash.
To visit this online football betting got to MySportsbook.com for all your football betting odds needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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