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Bryant welcomes challenge in Lakers-Celtics Game 7Basketball Betting Lines06/17/2010 - LOS ANGELES (AP) -Kobe Bryant yawned when he leaned back on the Los Angeles Lakers' bench to watch his teammates running through their final practice of the season. That cool outer demeanor revealed none of the urgency running through Bryant's head. He knows the singular stakes when the Lakers host the Boston Celtics in Game 7 of the NBA finals Thursday night, and he isn't afraid to raise them even higher. ``I've said the whole season, (if) you don't win a championship, it's a failure,'' said Bryant, who hopes to have his hand full with a fifth championship ring. ``It's as simple as that.'' Nine months of preparation and eight weeks of postseason play for the NBA's two most decorated franchises will culminate in one pressure-packed game at Staples Center. Such showdowns once occurred regularly in the finals, including four previous trips to Game 7 for these teams, but this is the finals' first Game 7 since 2005 and just the third in 22 years. It's a dream scenario for kids playing hoops in their driveway. It's a crucible of history both for Bryant's Lakers and the Celtics' veteran core. It's also simply an incredibly cool experience, according to the players who are mentally able to savor it. ``I just love the pressure,'' said Paul Pierce, who leads the Celtics with 18 points per game. ``I love the fact that I get to play against the Los Angeles Lakers in a Game 7 on the road. I love the fact that if I don't win multiple championships that I probably won't be mentioned amongst the other guys in Celtic history that have done it before. That type of stuff motivates me. That's what the challenge is for me, every time I put on this Celtic uniform.'' The rivalry's history intermingles with the drama in Game 7. The defending champion Lakers are going for their 16th banner, while Boston is playing for its unprecedented 18th title in the NBA's two most successful franchises' second finals meeting in three years. Exactly two years to the day after the Celtics ended the 2008 finals with perhaps the most frustrating loss of Bryant's career, he has the ultimate chance to make things right. ``(When) I look back, years from now, or even when I was a kid, (if) you'd talk about being in this situation, I'd be really excited,'' said Bryant, the series' leading scorer with 29.5 points per game. ``But when I'm in the moment right now, I've got to play. I've got to focus on that. I can't focus on the hype about it.'' Although Boston has the rivalry's Game 7 history on its side, the Celtics also have plenty stacked against them after an embarrassing 89-67 loss in Game 6 Tuesday night. Boston won't have starting center Kendrick Perkins, who sprained multiple ligaments in his right knee in the first quarter. The Celtics' starting five has never lost a playoff series, but that five must change for Game 7. Although Perkins is a role player next to Boston's Big Three and point guard Rajon Rondo, the Celtics must hope veteran Rasheed Wallace and youngster Glen Davis can make up for Perkins' inside defense and rebounding. No visiting team has won an NBA championship in Game 7 since the Washington Bullets did it in 1978, yet the Celtics are a whole lot more worried about the Lakers than the Hollywood crowd. ``It's all-out,'' Boston's Kevin Garnett said. ``It's for the marbles, it's for everything, all-out. You save nothing. You leave nothing.'' It's too soon to say where these finals will fit in the rivalry's annals. Although the games had been uniformly competitive before the Lakers' blowout win in Game 6, they haven't been spectacularly played, with gritty defense trumping offense in most of the major moments. Ray Allen's historic 3-point shooting barrage in Game 2, the Celtics' gritty victories in games 4 and 5, the Lakers' blowout win in Game 6 - all will be dwarfed by what happens in the deciding game. ``I guess it's going to be another decade that people look back and see the formation of this rivalry again,'' Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. ``The '90s was missed, and the '70s was missed, but the '60s and the '80s were big decades. It seems to skip a decade, doesn't it?'' The Celtics have more experience in seventh games than the Lakers over the past three years, playing in two deciding games in 2008 and two more last year. Boston coach Doc Rivers thinks his club's big-game toughness mostly grew from those high stakes. ``It's the ultimate players' game,'' said Rivers, a New York guard when the Knicks lost Game 7 of the 1994 finals in Houston. ``Unfortunately, I've coached in a lot of them over the last few years - or fortunately. All the things you've worked on all year, you have to do it, and execute it, and trust and play.'' Los Angeles is in just its second Game 7 of the past three seasons, but that's because the Lakers have been better at avoiding trouble while winning 10 playoff series since Pau Gasol joined them in 2008. When faced with elimination Tuesday for the first time in these playoffs, the Lakers responded with determination at least partially born from fear, according to Gasol. ``I think about how bad and how much it would hurt if we don't come out as winners,'' Gasol said. ``I keep that thought in my mind sometimes, just to understand that I have to do everything possible out there to help my team in any way I can. You want to leave everything you have out there, and compete as hard as you've ever competed.''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.
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NFL Football BettingBILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover. BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week. COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy. TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win. RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win. PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start. JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch. SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do. VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams. DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home. SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one. BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1. BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses. RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw. PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1. Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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