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Blazers' Roy is a rare breedBasketball Betting Lines04/25/2010 - Philadelphia, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - It wasn't quite Willis Reed limping out to the floor before Game 7 of the 1970 NBA Finals, but Brandon Roy's surprise return on Saturday saved the Portland Trail Blazers' season. Just eight days after undergoing surgery to repair a torn meniscus in his right knee, Roy suited up and gave the Blazers and the Rose Garden faithful the emotional lift they needed after the club had lost the previous two games in their Western Conference quarterfinals series with Phoenix by a combined 48 points. The All-Star guard, who averaged a team-high 21.5 points per game this season, played nearly 27 minutes and scored five of his 10 points in the final quarter for Portland, which pulled out the 96-87 victory to deadlock the series at two games apiece. The Blazers weren't playing for an NBA title like Reed's Knicks were in 1970. Heck, Portland wasn't even playing for its season, but a loss would have put the club in a virtually insurmountable 3-1 hole. Roy could have sat back, rested his knee and started reserving tee times. No one would have blamed him. In today's money-driven, sports world, a superstar risking his long-term health for the good of the team is as rare as a bipartisan bill in Washington D.C. To be blunt, putting yourself before the team is expected these days. "He thinks that he is bulletproof," TNT analyst Kenny Smith said. "Cooler heads have to prevail and say are we really going to win an NBA championship? Does it really make a difference if he plays right now? If we are really that good let's wait two weeks." "You just have to wonder what the Portland Trail Blazers are thinking," Charles Barkley added. "He is your franchise, he's your best player, I'm not sure I would take that chance. Clearly he is a great player, terrific person; you have to admire his heart. But, from a medical standpoint, I'm not sure you can have surgery and play basketball (eight days later). He might be alright but somewhere down the line whether it is this series or later in your career, you are going to have some side effects." Well, Roy ignored the naysayers and proved he was a rare breed just like Willis Reed. "The doctors said it was a pretty bad tear," Roy said. "The minute the surgery was over and I woke up in the recovery room I said my knee felt great. It has been feeling good all week, I've been working out and preparing for a moment like this. I am happy I was able to help my team and help these fans and we definitely have a Game 6 for sure now." Yeah, Reed's return in 1970 was a tad more dramatic. The Hall of Famer was crippled by a torn thigh muscle and the Knicks appeared to be in dire straits after being walloped by Wilt Chamberlain's Lakers in Game 6. Reed emerged from the tunnel prior to Game 7 and the Madison Square Garden faithful erupted. After he knocked down New York's first two baskets, Reed retreated and let Walt Frazier take things from there. "Clyde" went on to pour in 36 points and dish out 19 assists as the Knicks won their first NBA championship in a 113-99 rout. But, Reed's actual play wasn't the difference, his inspiration was. Roy has a chance to carry the banged-up Blazers on his back both emotionally and physically. "The big thing about Roy is that he is a scorer, we know that," former NBA coach Mike Fratello said. "But Nate McMillan has also played him in the role of point guard, a facilitator. He may not be able to create his own shot or get his own shot but he can certainly make the pass to someone else that is open as a result of screening. He is a guy that you can put the ball in his hand and trust his decision making." Whether Roy's knee holds up for the rest of the series remains to be seen but momentum has clearly shifted and its Phoenix that is on the run now. "I just wanted to come out and contribute," Roy said. "That's what I told coach before the game. I wouldn't feel right sitting in the back feeling as good as I do."
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FOOTBALL BETTING LINESNFL Football Sports BettingTwo playoff teams from 2007 take center stage on the NFL Network Sunday night in a Week 2 NFL betting match-up when the (0-1) New England Patriots betting head south to Florida for a contest with the (1-0) Tampa Bay Buccaneers. New England HC Bill Belichick couldn’t care less about the way his team plays in the preseason. With a chance to tie last week’s game with the Baltimore Ravens betting, He elected to go for the two-point conversion and outright victory. The conversion failed, and the Pats ended up falling to the Ravens by a 16-15 final count. New England rolled off twelve unanswered points to give it a chance at securing the victory, but it never threatened to cover the 3.5-point spread. NFL bettors saw this one coming, as they bet the Ravens down from +6 to +3.5 as the week progressed. QB Tom Brady didn’t take part in the Patriots first preseason clash, but could see action this weekend. His three replacements all put up embarrassing numbers. They went a combined 17 for 33, and threw three interceptions and no touchdowns. The New England defense was encouraging, as they held the Ravens to 2/12 third down conversions and surrendered just ten first downs. That ‘D’ should be bolstered with the addition of former Bucs and Denver Broncos betting safety John Lynch, who could make his Patriots debut on Sunday against his former mates. HC Jon Gruden had to be impressed with the way his Bucs played on both sides of the ball in their dominating 17-6 victory over the Miami Dolphins in Week 1’s NFL pre-season betting action. Bucs bettors were quite happy with the effort, as they made a mockery of the fact that they were underdogs in the game. The logjam at the quarterback position didn’t get any easier to separate for Gruden, as all four of his QBs had positive experiences in the first exhibition of 2008. The four combined to complete 28 of their 40 passes for 204 yards and a touchdown, and that was without starting QB Jeff Garcia in the lineup. RB Michael Bennett had 19 carries and four receptions, totaling 90 yards and a touchdown. Expect to see more of Bennett, Kenneth Darby, and Earnest Graham, as they all compete for playing time with Warrick Dunn in the backfield this season. Defensively, the Bucs recorded four sacks and held the Fins offense in check all day. First round draft pick Aqib Talib was impressive in the secondary, recording a tackle and two pass defenses in his debut. Don’t be surprised to see Talib in the starting lineup opposite Ronde Barber for the Bucs in ’08. The betting trends suggest that NFL bettors should be backing the Bucs in this intra-conference exhibition. These two teams hooked up last year in Tampa Bay, with the Bucs winning that game 13-10. The Buccaneers have only lost one preseason game at home dating back to the beginning of the ’05 preseason. The Patriots have had a mixed bag of results in their recent exhibitions. They have gone 2-2 ATS and SU each of the last three years. New England currently sits as modest 1-point favorites in this preseason showdown with the ‘total’ now sitting at 34.5. You can find these lines and all of the NFL betting lines , so be sure to login and get your wagers down before kickoff! Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting lines . |
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