Okur, Jazz top Trail Blazers
Basketball Betting Lines
12/31/2006 -
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mehmet Okur scored 20 points and
grabbed seven rebounds as the Utah Jazz beat the Portland Trail Blazers 96-86.
Carlos Boozer scored 19 points and pulled down 10 boards for Utah, which has
won three of four. Andrei Kirilenko scored 14 points, and Derek Fisher and
Paul Millsap scored 11 points each in the victory.
Zach Randolph led Portland with 34 points and 13 rebounds, but could not
prevent the Trail Blazers' fourth loss in five games. Brandon Roy was the only
other Portland player to register double figures in points, with 17.
The Trail Blazers trailed by as much as 24 points in the third quarter, but
trimmed the deficit to six before fading in the end.
A Fisher three put the Jazz up 71-47 with 3:26 left in the third, but Portland
answered with a run to make things interesting. The Trail Blazers outscored
Utah 15-2 over the remainder of the quarter, and cut the deficit to 73-62
entering the fourth on the strength of a Juan Dixon basket at the buzzer.
Randolph hit baskets on consecutive possessions to bring Portland to within
79-73 with 7:23 left, capping a 26-8 run that bridged the final two quarters.
Unfortunately for Portland, that was as interesting as things would get, and
Utah iced the win an 8-2 run late in the fourth. An Okur jumper ended the run
with just over a minute to play, giving Utah a 94-82 lead.
Portland led 21-20 after the first quarter, but Utah outscored the Trail
Blazers 29-14 in the second quarter to take a 49-35 halftime lead.
Game Notes
Utah is now 13-2 at home on the season...The Jazz hit 50.6 percent from the
field improving to 13-0 when shooting better than 50 percent from the field.
<< No. 16 Wichita State upset by Northern Iowa
Wichita, KS (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Grant Stout scored 17 points and grabbed nine
rebounds, as Northern Iowa upended 16th-ranked Wichita State, 63-59, in a
Midwest Valley Conference clash at Charles Koch Arena.
Brooks McKowen added 13 p
<< Joseph makes 40 saves as Phoenix routs San Jose
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Curtis Joseph stopped 40 shots for his first
shutout of the season and 48th of his career and Jeremy Roenick notched his
10th career hat trick as the Phoenix Coyotes crushed the San Jose Sharks, 8-0,
at Jobi
<< Grizzlies hold on to down Raptors in Barone's debut
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Mike Miller scored 27 points, Pau Gasol
scored 22 points and pulled down 11 rebounds and Tony Barone won his first
game as an NBA head coach as Memphis beat Toronto, 110-104.
The Grizzlies led by a
<< Barber carries Giants to brink of playoffs
Landover, MD (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tiki Barber rushed for a franchise record 234
yards and scored three touchdowns as New York downed Washington, 34-28, in the
regular season finale, as the Giants drew one step closer to advancing to the
playoff
<< Mavericks cruise to ninth straight victory
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Terry scored 25 points and handed out six
assists as Dallas beat up on New Orleans/Oklahoma City, 94-80.
Terry finished 10-of-20 from the field while Dirk Nowitzki posted 17 points
for the Mavericks,
Tar Heels put perfect home mark on line >>
Chapel Hill, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The second-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels
have not been tested much this season, and they will attempt to add
another victory to their impressive record as they host the Dayton Flyers in
non-
Duke goes in search of eighth straight win >>
Durham, NC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The fifth-ranked Duke Blue Devils have been
better than expected this season, and they will attempt to extend their
nation-leading non-conference home winning streak to 50 games as they host
the
Bulldogs and Badgers meet in Atlanta >>
Athens, GA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The nation's fourth-ranked team takes its game
on the road today as the mighty Wisconsin Badgers of the Big Ten take on the
slumping Georgia Bulldogs of the SEC.
Wisconsin is a sensational 13-1 overal
Tigers try to scratch out 14th straight win >>
Clemson, SC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The 25th-ranked Clemson Tigers put their
undefeated record on the line today, as they host the Georgia State Panthers
in non-conference action from Littlejohn Coliseum.
At a perfect 13-0, Clemson
Top-ranked Bruins play host to high-powered Huskies >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A couple of schools meeting for the 121st
time on the hardwood collide at Pauley Pavilion this evening, as the 14th-
ranked Washington Huskies take on the top-ranked UCLA Bruins in Pac-10 play.
The
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
NFL Betting Lines
To visit this sportsbook go to MySportsbook.com for all your college football betting needs.
|
