Friday's NBA betting news & notes
Fri, Mar 16, 2007
By Associated Press
SCOREBOARD
Houston at Toronto (7 p.m. EDT). The Rockets' Tracy McGrady faces his former team, which has a six-game lead in the Atlantic Division.
STARS - Thursday
- Michael Redd, Bucks, scored a game-high 29 points to lead Milwaukee past San Antonio 101-90.
- Linas Kleiza, Nuggets, scored a career-high 29 points as Denver defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 113-86.
- Udonis Haslem, Heat, turned in a double-double performance with 21 points and 12 rebounds in Miami's 93-86 win over New Jersey.
DEBUT
The Milwaukee Bucks made a winner of Larry Krystkowiak in his NBA debut, ending San Antonio's 13-game winning streak with a 101-90 victory on Thursday night. Krystkowiak, who agreed to a multiyear deal to take over the Bucks hours after they fired coach Terry Stotts on Wednesday, was thrown in immediately to face the NBA's hottest team.
STREAKING
Miami won its eighth straight game with a 93-86 victory over New Jersey on Thursday night. The Heat are now 9-2 since All-Star guard Dwyane Wade went down with a shoulder injury, pulling within a half-game of first-place Washington in the Southeast Division.
SLUMPING
The Los Angeles Lakers lost a seventh straight game, falling to Denver 113-86 on Thursday night. The loss moved L.A., which has dropped 13 of its last 16 games, into a tie with the Nuggets for the sixth spot in the Western Conference playoff race. The losing streak is also the longest in the coaching career of Lakers coach Phil Jackson, who is in his 16th year in the NBA.
FINED
The NBA fined both the Los Angeles Lakers and their coach, Phil Jackson $50,000 on Thursday for public criticisms of the NBA. Jackson said the league was conducting a ''witch hunt'' against All-Star guard Kobe Bryant. Bryant, who has received two one-game suspensions this season for striking players in the face after taking a shot, was retroactively assessed with a flagrant foul for an elbow to Philadelphia's Kyle Korver last week, a play that didn't even draw a foul when it happened.
SPEAKING
''A lot of times, you get a little adrenaline and spark. I anticipated our guys playing hard.'' - New Milwaukee coach Larry Krystkowiak after the Bucks made him a winner in his NBA coaching debut with a 101-90 victory over San Antonio Thursday night. Krystkowiak was a Bucks assistant before being promoted and given a multiyear deal hours after the team fired Terry Stotts on Wednesday
Spartans' Ibok dislocates elbow
Thu, Mar 15, 2007
By Associated Press
WINSTON-SALEM, N.C. -- Michigan State reserve center Idong Ibok dislocated his left elbow in the first half of the Spartans' first-round NCAA tournament game against Marquette on Thursday.
The 6-foot-11 Ibok was fighting for a rebound with 6:37 left when he landed hard on his left elbow and screamed out in pain. Referee Bryan Kersey immediately stopped play and waved the training staff on the court. Teammates Raymar Morgan and Drew Neitzel grimaced as Ibok pounded the floor with his right hand as he was being treated.
Ibok, a sophomore from Lagos, Nigeria, was averaging 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds coming into the game.
Cavs' Pollard apologizes for comment
Associated Press
CLEVELAND (AP) - Cleveland Cavaliers center Scot Pollard looked into the camera during a recent game and said, "Hey kids, do drugs."
Pollard was sitting on the bench in street clothes when he made the remark during a 20-second timeout Sunday against Indiana. The Cavaliers didn't find it funny.
"We have spoken with Scot and certainly do not condone his actions," general manager Danny Ferry said in a statement Wednesday. "He regrets his mistake, using inappropriate humor, particularly when he has always been very involved in the community, projecting positive messages to our youth. We will handle the issue internally."
"It was a bad joke," Pollard said in Thursday editions of The Plain Dealer. "That's all it boils down to. There are a number of things people could say about it, but it just turned out it was a bad joke. Obviously, I don't believe that."
Pollard, who has played in only 17 games this season, was not available on Thursday. He would be at practice on Friday, the team said.
CLEVELAND (AP) - Cleveland Cavaliers center Scot Pollard looked into the camera during a recent game and said, "Hey kids, do drugs."
Pollard was sitting on the bench in street clothes when he made the remark during a 20-second timeout Sunday against Indiana. The Cavaliers didn't find it funny.
He should be fined for being a moron 😡
Arkansas's Charles Thomas who sprained his ankle in the SEC title game, won't be able to play more than 20 minutes in today's game according to coach Stan Heath.
Nevada's head coach Mark Fox said Kyle Shiloh (hamstring) will play Friday.
New Mexico State's Fred Peete is questionable (ankle)
North Texas's Kendrick Davis (14 ppg) is probable (ankle).
Kansas's Darrell Arthuris probable (groin).
Clippers Sam Cassell has been downgraded to doubtful (groin) for tonight.
Celtics Ryan Gomes has been downgraded to OUT (ankle) of tonight's game.
Kansas's Darrell Arthur proclaimed himself fit for tonight's game (groin), "I'm 100 precent now. I had a good practice yesterday, and today I don't feel any pain."
Warriors Baron Davis has been upgraded to probable (knee), and news is he is expected to play tonight.
Wizards F Butler to miss 7-10 days
Fri, Mar 16, 2007
By Associated Press
WASHINGTON -- Washington Wizards forward Caron Butler will miss a week to 10 days with a left knee injury and won't travel with the team on its March 20-26 road trip.
Jarvis Hayes probably will start in Butler's place, coach Eddie Jordan said after practice Friday.
Butler hurt the knee March 7, but continued to play. He left Washington's last game, a win at the Indiana Pacers on Wednesday, early in the second quarter.
Butler had an MRI exam on the knee Thursday that showed no structural damage, and team doctors said he should rest. Butler is averaging career highs in most statistical categories this season, including points (19.4), rebounds (7.6), assists (3.8) and steals (2.14).
Favored Lakers have plane issues
Fri, Mar 16, 2007
The Los Angeles Lakers had trouble leaving Colorado last night after losing to the Denver Nuggets and did not arrive in L.A. until 6:30 a.m. PT this morning. The Lakers play the Portland Trail Blazers tonight at 10:30 p.m. ET (7:30 p.m. PT).
KCAL-TV reporter John Ireland told ESPN’s Cold Pizza this morning the Lakers' flight originally left at midnight (local time), but after a half hour of flying they were forced to turn around and land in Denver because of an air pressure problem. Ireland also reported that the Lakers' next flight didn’t leave until 3:30 a.m.
Rockets Juwan Howard is not in the starting lineup
Clippers Sam Cassell is not in the starting lineup.
Raptors Anthony Parker (ankle) and Jose Calderon ( ankle) are both officially out of tonight's game.