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Pierce guides Boston past HoustonBasketball Betting Lines02/27/2007 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Pierce scored 28 points, spearheading a key fourth-quarter run, as the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the undermanned Houston Rockets, 77-72, at the Toyota Center. Pierce scored seven of his points during a 13-0 run late in the fourth quarter, as Boston took its first lead of the game and eventually ended its four-game losing streak. Delonte West added 16 points and Al Jefferson also had 16 points and 17 rebounds for the Celtics, who took advantage of the Rockets playing without Tracy McGrady. "It was a good win even though our offense shot 34 percent from the field," Pierce said. "We're trying to play better basketball and to play hard as a team and to grind out the rest of the season. We need to keep doing it on a consistent basis." McGrady missed the game with flu-like symptoms and his absence was evident in a lackluster offensive effort. Bonzi Wells, starting in place of McGrady, scored 27 points and Juwan Howard had 12 points for Houston, which has lost three of five. "I don't think you're ever surprised about anything," Rockets coach Jeff Van Gundy said after his team blew a big lead in the final quarter. "I think it's certainly disappointing, but I think there's disappointment any time you feel like you could have gone harder." After trailing for the entire contest and falling behind by as many as 13 points in the fourth quarter, Boston began to rally. Down 68-60, the Celtics ran off 13 straight points to take their first lead of the night. Pierce's turnaround jumper with 2:22 left tied the game at 68-68. West then converted a breakaway layup for Boston's first lead, 70-68, with 1:24 on the clock. Pierce then capped the run with a turnaround three-pointer over Shane Battier as the shot clock expired with 25.9 seconds left for a 73-68 edge. The Rockets shot just 32 percent for the game, hitting only 1-of-22 three- pointers. Houston led this contest from the start, scoring the first seven points and going into the second with a 22-14 lead. The advantage shrunk to 35-29 at halftime, but the Rockets began to pull away late in the third quarter. Ahead 49-44, the Rockets bridged the third and fourth quarters with a 13-5 run to go ahead by double figures. Houston led 53-44 going into the fourth and Jake Tsakalidis' three-point play with just under nine minutes left ended the run for a 62-49 lead. Game Notes This was the first of two meetings this season between these two clubs...Houston also continues to play without center Yao Ming...These two teams have split the season series each of the last three years...Houston fell to 20-8 at home...Boston improved to 9-21 on the road.
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Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Corey Maggette feasted at the free throw line and ended with 25 points, as the Clippers topped Charlotte, 100-93, in a game marred by an ugly knee injury to Los Angeles guard Shaun Livingston. Livingsto
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Omaha netminder takes top AHL honors >>
Springfield, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The American Hockey League announced today that Omaha Ak-Sar-Ben Knights goaltender Curtis McElhinney has been named the CCM Vector/AHL Player of the Week for the period ending February 25, 2007. McElhinney
Moose, Bulldogs tighten North Division Race >>
Twins sign P Crain to three-year deal >>
Report: Livingston's season over >>
League-leading Cougars head to Colorado Springs >>
Numerous College Basketball teams take final big step to March Madness betting So, what turned on the lock spigot? Well, after what felt like weeks of teams treading water and slipping back into the bubble muck, a bunch of them finally decided to say "to heck with parity" and won games that should put them into the Big Dance. Disagree with some of these? Then here's the challenge. Take all of the "should be ins" and make a legit case that each should be ahead of the team that's a lock. Then find 10 more teams that also should be placed in the bracket ahead of that lock team. Not so easy, is it? If you want more evidence that these locks should be good to go, check out what our research department dug up. Since the NCAA Tournament went to 64 teams in 1985, only six teams from a "big six" conference have had a record of 10-6 or better in conference play and not been selected: Colorado (2004) and Nebraska (1999) from the Big 12, Boston College and Seton Hall (both 2003) from the Big East, Indiana (2005) from the Big Ten and UCLA, which somehow went 12-6 in the Pac-10 in 1988 and still missed out. (Note: Five teams went 11-7 and didn't get in, the latest being last season's Stanford team, which had a brutal nonconference run.) Yes, 10 conference wins doesn't always mean what it used to because of unbalanced schedules, but this season, it should be plenty good in all but the extreme cases (see: Iowa). In a way, this is a welcome development, because this is a bubble watch, not a lock watch. We can finally be done with teams like Maryland and Virginia Tech and start really bearing down on at-large battles such as Syracuse-West Virginia and Appalachian State-Georgia Tech. Interestingly, all the shifting of teams into lock status appears to be more administrative than impactful. The number of remaining available at-larges didn't change one iota. The only difference is that teams on the bubble now have a clearer idea of which team(s) they are competing with for those precious bids.
As always, I've tried to be as inclusive as possible while only including teams that would have a reasonable chance of at least being discussed if this were Selection Sunday. If your team's not on here, there's probably a good reason (or three) -- start with the RPI and SOS numbers and work your way down. (Please remember, per selection committee criteria, that records displayed are Division I only. Next update: Feb. 28) If you have a legitimate grievance, or just like talking bubble, send an e-mail. Polite ones with fact-based arguments have a much better chance of receiving a response. I apologize in advance if I can't get back to all of you. Atlantic Coast Conference Work left to do: Clemson, Florida State, Georgia Tech
Work left to do: Clemson [19-9 (5-9), RPI: 41, SOS: 42] The Tigers are closer to locking up the collapse of the year award (in a good battle with OK State) than they are to grabbing an at-large. Clemson's been very competitive, but there's no really positive way you can spin nine losses in 11 games. They now cannot get to .500 in ACC play and still must head to Virginia Tech in the season finale (after hosting Miami). Unless the Tigers win both and/or do some serious work in the ACC tourney, they very well could be left out. There are no great nonconference wins, but ODU, App State, Miss. State, South Carolina and Georgia are all respectable W's. Florida State [18-11 (6-9), RPI: 48, SOS: 14] The Noles got thrashed at Maryland to run their losing streak to five, but then pounded NC State at home to set the table for what likely is an elimination game at Miami. You can at least make a case for the Seminoles at 7-9 in ACC play (and some work in the ACC tourney), but 6-10 is not going to cut it. Wins at Duke and over Florida will resonate, but the computer numbers remain questionable. Beyond Florida, FSU thrashed bubble buddy Providence, but there's not a ton beyond those two games that will help. They didn't show well in big-time opportunities against Pitt and Wisconsin (before the Florida win). Georgia Tech [18-10 (6-8), RPI: 51, SOS: 46] The Jackets beat Wake on Wednesday but couldn't get it done at UVa on Saturday, which could be a crucial loss with UNC and BC (both at home) remaining and 8-8 almost a certain need for at-large consideration. A nonconference win over Memphis helps, but the RPI and SOS are not at-large quality right now; if you combine those with a sub-.500 ACC mark, that could spell NIT for GT. For more College Basketball betting lines go to MySportsbook.com Additional basketball lines can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.
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