Lakers outlast Celtics in OT
Basketball Betting Lines
02/10/2012 -
Boston, MA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The battle between the Lakers and Celtics was
fittingly decided in overtime, and it was Andrew Bynum's late tip-in that
proved to be the difference in Los Angeles' 88-87 victory.
The Lakers have won six of seven against Boston at TD Garden, thanks in part
to Kobe Bryant's 27 points and double-doubles by Bynum and Pau Gasol on
Thursday.
Bynum totaled 16 points and 17 rebounds, while Gasol added 25 and 14,
including a tip-in with 9.8 seconds left in regulation that tied things at 82.
The Celtics, who came in riding a five-game winning streak, failed to get a
quality attempt off at the end of the fourth quarter, and missed four shots
in the final 70 seconds of overtime.
Ray Allen paced Boston with 22 points and All-Star reserve Paul Pierce added
18 points, nine rebounds and seven assists. Kevin Garnett posted 12 points and
12 boards, but shot just 2-of-13 from the floor after halftime.
Rajon Rondo finished with 14 points and seven helpers, and his floater gave
Boston a 79-77 lead with three minutes left in regulation.
Bynum countered with a three-point play, only to have Allen come off a
baseline screen and nail one from three-point range with 1:08 on the clock.
After trading misses, Bryant was off on a fadeaway from the left side, but
Gasol was there for the tying tip-in with 9.8 seconds showing.
Out of a timeout, Pierce dribbled down the final seconds and was hounded
outside the arc before passing to Mickael Pietrus with two seconds left.
Pietrus' off-balanced 31-footer was nowhere close to the rim as the buzzer
sounded.
Pierce drained a three-pointer for an 87-86 lead with 1:51 left in the extra
session, and that wound up being Boston's last basket.
Bynum tipped in another Bryant miss at the other end, and Garnett missed
jumpers on the next two Celtics possessions. Bryant was off the mark again
with 7.9 seconds to play to give the Celtics a chance, but Pierce's forced 18-
footer drew iron. Allen was in position for a putback, but he short-armed his
attempt.
The Celtics were ahead 26-22 after the first quarter and 47-45 at halftime.
Bryant scored 12 in the third quarter to give LA a 67-64 advantage heading to
the fourth.
Game Notes
The Celtics (17) and Lakers (16) have accounted for 33 of the 65 NBA
championships...These two teams will meet again in Staples Center on March
11...The Lakers visit the Knicks on Friday before ending their six-game road
trip on Sunday against the Raptors...The Lakers shot just 1-of-15 from three-
point range, but won the battle on the glass, 55-45 and outscored the Celtics
at the free throw line, 15-5.
<< Curry leads Golden State past Denver
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<< Canucks keep Wild reeling
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<< Indiana pulls away from Illinois
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No. 4 Stanford handles USC >>
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Coyotes edge Flames on Doan's OT winner >>
Glendale, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Shane Doan scored the game-winner in overtime
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Illinois tops Ohio State on Moore's basket >>
Champaign, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Amber Moore's bucket with two seconds
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Evans, Cousins lead Kings past Thunder >>
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Pangos helps Gonzaga roll past Saint Mary's >>
Spokane, WA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Pangos is new to the Gonzaga-Saint Mary's
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Elite 8 NCAA Tournament Betting at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com
In what should be an outstanding Saturday of March Madness betting action, the top four teams in the South and West Regions square off in what should be extremely close match-ups. Three of the four teams are coming off extremely close games on Thursday evening, only UCLA won semi comfortably over Pitt 64-55.
Ohio State is coming off their second game in a row where in all reality they should have lost. Of course that doesn’t matter now since the name of the game is “survive and advance” but as the tournament continues, they can’t afford to keep getting down to their opponents early. Kansas also avoided a scare by holding off a scrappy Southern Illinois squad. In the third thrilling game of the evening Memphis pulled off the minor upset (+3.5) despite being the higher seed to Texas A&M.
Although the spreads are fairly small for Saturday’s games, MySportsbook.com continue to bet against the underdogs. Despite OSU’s two scares, 86% of the “betting public” feels the Buckeyes (-1.5) have what it takes to make the Final Four. In fact, so much of the early money is on OSU that the line has already moved from -1 to -1.5. In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas and their high-powered offense are 2 point favorites as they take on UCLA and their effective defense. About 63% of the early money thus far is once again backing the favorites. If those percentages stay that high, don’t be surprised if this line moves as well. If you like Kansas (-2) you might want to jump on it early.
Memphis vs. Ohio State
Both squads were involved in thrillers on Thursday evening and should come out fired up. OSU can ill afford to get behind early like they did versus their previous two opponents (Xavier, Tennessee). Greg Oden needs to stay out of foul trouble; the Buckeyes are a completely different team when he is on the court. Memphis definitely has the athleticism and length to match-up with OSU. Of Memphis’ five leading minute earners, the shortest of the bunch is 6’5”. Each team has a very effective defense; Memphis surrenders 62.3 PPG whereas the Buckeyes give up only 61 PPG. With those type of numbers, it isn’t surprising that Memphis covered the UNDER almost 69% of the time this season. As a favorite, OSU has covered the UNDER almost 66% of the time over the last three seasons. The major concern for Memphis which is magnifies this time of the year is their brutal foul shooting (62%). This season, OSU is 17-11 ATS versus teams with a winning record and 7-2 ATS in all tournament games. Memphis has been an extremely reliable cover in tournament play in recent years with a 23-8 ATS record over the last three seasons.
UCLA vs. Kansas
In the second game of Saturday’s doubleheader, UCLA will play in a role which they are very unfamiliar with that of the underdog. Only twice this season have they been getting points from the handicappers and both times they covered. Over the last three seasons UCLA is a reliable 23-7 ATS in this unfamiliar role. UCLA has not fared well against Big 12 opponents recently going 1-7 ATS since 1997. Giving up only 59.6 PPG, UCLA will definitely look to do what they do best: keep this game as low scoring as possible. Their defense has been especially tough during the tournament. UCLA opponents have been able to muster up only 48.7 PPG while shooting a combined 34.5% from the field. UCLA definitely has a challenge at hand with a Kansas team that is capable of putting points on the board in bunches. As a team, they average 79 PPG and shoot an impressive 49.6% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc. During the tournament Kansas has been “lights out” from the field having shot 56.2%.
With Friday -105 juice on Basketball betting, MySportsbook.com is the place to bet on all of the “March Madness” action. Don’t forget to monitor who the public is backing at MySportsbook.com’s “Betting Trends”. By doing so, you have the best chance of predicting a possible line change, thus getting the best value for your wager.
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