Terry leads Mavs past hobbled Rockets
Basketball Betting Lines
11/20/2008 -
Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jason Terry scored 31 points, and Dirk Nowitzki
added 24 points and 12 rebounds to pace Dallas to a 96-86 victory over the
injury-riddled Houston Rockets.
Jason Kidd contributed eight points, nine rebounds and seven assists for the
Mavericks, who won their third in a row following a five-game skid. The Mavs,
who played without second-leading scorer Josh Howard (left ankle), also beat
Houston for the 11th time in the last 14 meetings.
Rafer Alston and Tracy McGrady each scored 16 points, but the Rockets were
without center Yao Ming (sore left foot). Forward Shane Battier practiced on
Tuesday for the first time this season, but was in street clothes again as he
continues be sidelined due to offseason foot surgery.
"When you don't have Yao, you've got to move the ball and you have to create
situations," said Rockets coach Rick Adelman. "We don't have a lot of guys who
can break you down off the dribble. So the guys who can't do that, you've got
to give them some room and I thought there were times when we had the ball in
the hands of someone who could get there and our thought process was very
poor."
McGrady played despite leaving Monday's game against Oklahoma City with a knee
injury, and Ron Artest put together a solid performance with 14 points and 13
rebounds despite playing on a gimpy ankle. But Houston shot just 37.2 percent
from the field.
The Mavericks carried a 72-61 lead going to the fourth quarter, but Houston
got three-balls from Aaron Brooks and Von Wafer to start the period. The
Rockets, though, failed in their bid to play catch-up. McGrady's three-pointer
had the hosts within 88-84 with 1:15 remaining, but Terry then knifed through
the lane for a bucket with a minute left.
McGrady missed a three-pointer at the other end, and Nowitzki made four free
throws down the stretch.
"We won the game defensively, not giving them second opportunities," said
Terry. "Obviously, without Yao they didn't have that post presence, but our
bench did a good job of maintaining a good balance on both ends of the floor."
The Mavericks started the game on fire, scoring the first eight points, but
Houston bounced back to tie the game at 16 on an Artest layup. The Mavs
finished the quarter on a 9-2 spurt for a 31-25 lead and they were up 53-46 at
the half. The visitors held a sizeable lead throughout the third stanza.
Game Notes
Dallas will play nine of its next 11 games at home, starting Friday against
Memphis. The Mavericks are 0-4 at home for the first time since the 1993-94
season when they lost their first 19 at home. Dallas is the only team in the
league to not win a game at home this season...The Rockets play Washington
Friday in the opener of a three-game road trip...Scola and Brooks each had 15
points...The Rockets were 6-of-25 from three-point range.
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Michiga
“You play to win the game!”
Those are the words of notoriously intense head coach Herman Edwards. Unfortunately, from a bettors’ perspective, most coaches don’t feel that way about the NFL preseason. August is a time to evaluate young players, finalize the depth chart and pray your star players stay healthy.
The trick to making money during the exhibition schedule is identifying coaches – like Edwards – who can’t stand losing even when there's nothing on the line.
The New York Jets betting won 15 of 21 preseason games and went 14-7 against the spread (ATS) during Edwards’s five-year tenure with the club. In his first season as the Kansas City Chiefs field boss, the team improved from 0-4 to 2-2.
Identifying win-a-holics like Edwards is a good start if you plan betting the preseason – even though most say you shouldn’t ... but what the hell do they know anyway?
Here’s a brief rundown of two teams that have a habit of winning during the second-stringers’ season, and another club that has a good chance of exceeding this year.
New York Giants betting lines
Playing in the media hub of North America can be stressful but the press can’t write anything negative about the way Tom Coughlin’s boys play in the preseason. The Giants won and covered all four games last summer, improving their record to 7-1 both straight up (SU) and against the spread over the last two years.
Coughlin has shown he’s not afraid to give his starters more time in the second preseason game than most of his colleagues, no doubt one of the reasons his team has been so dominant.
Dallas Cowboys betting lines
Bettors can count on America’s team early on. The Cowboys are 14-6 both SU and ATS since 2002 in warm-up contests. Former coach Bill Parcells, the coach of the team the last four years, has an intimidating, in-your-face presence – surely a reason Dallas has had so much early success.
The Big Tuna won’t be strolling the sidelines with looks of disgust, but new coach Wade Phillips will be anxious to make a good first impression for owner Jerry Jones.
Dallas plays the Indianapolis Colts and the Denver Broncos before things get serious. They then face the Houston Texans in their third contest (the game starters see most game time) and finish off with the Minnesota Vikings.
Expect a Dallas team able to walk away with another 3-1 preseason record.
Oakland Raiders betting lines
This team scored a league-worst 12 offensive touchdowns last season, so the rookies and veterans each have something to prove. There’s a bounty of first-unit jobs up for grabs and plenty of bodies competing for those slots.
First-time head coach Lane Kiffin will be eager to impress an owner who employs the philosophy, “Just win, baby!”
The 32-year-old Kiffin has to command respect from a locker room full of players older than him. All of these factors should lead to purpose in preseason.
Don’t forget: before playing like a team that belonged in NFL Europe, Oakland went 4-1 (both SU and ATS) in exhibition games.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your football wagering needs. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.
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