Suns beat skidding Bobcats

Basketball Betting Lines

02/04/2012 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Robin Lopez scored 11 of his 13 points in the fourth quarter, as the Phoenix Suns handed the Charlotte Bobcats their 11th straight loss with a 95-89 victory.

Michael Redd had 17 points in his first start of the season for the Suns, who snapped a four-game skid against Charlotte. Marcin Gortat donated 12 points and 12 rebounds.

Reggie Williams ended with 21 points, seven boards and six assists for the Bobcats, who fell to 1-13 on the road this season. Kemba Walker tallied 22 points.

Boris Diaw added 13 points for Charlotte, which is suffering its longest slide since a franchise-record 13-game skid from January 11-February 1, 2006. Bismack Biyombo had 11 points and 12 rebounds in his first NBA start.

The Suns started the fourth quarter on a 16-3 run. Lopez scored 11 points during the burst, including two free throws with 2:22 left for an 88-75 lead.

The Bobcats responded with a 7-0 spurt to make it a six-point contest, but Phoenix went 5-for-6 from the foul line down the stretch.

The Suns held a 25-24 edge after a tight first quarter, which featured four lead changes and two ties.

With the score tied at 41 late in the second frame, Diaw made a three-pointer prior to Walker scoring four points. That gave the Bobcats a 48-41 margin with 54.5 seconds left.

Redd made 1-of-2 free throws to cut the gap to six at the half.

Walker's jumper less than two minutes into the second half gave Charlotte a 54-44 lead.

But the Suns scored the next seven points to make it a 54-51 contest with 7:17 to go. The rest of the period remained close and Markieff Morris' trey made it 72-72 heading to the fourth.

Game Notes

Phoenix was without starting guard Jared Dudley (thigh)...Charlotte guard Gerald Henderson will miss 2-4 weeks of action with a right hamstring strain...The Bobcats turned the ball over 15 times, leading to 19 Phoenix points.

Play-n-win Basketball Betting News

<< Denmon lifts No. 4 Missouri over Kansas
Columbia, MO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Marcus Denmon's personal surge late in regulation boosted No. 4 Missouri to a 74-71 win over eighth-ranked Kansas in the Border Showdown. Denmon, who scored nine straight points during Missouri's

<< Flyers C Rinaldo fined by NHL
Toronto, ON (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The National Hockey League fined Philadelphia Flyers center Zac Rinaldo $5,000 on Saturday. The fine stems from two plays during Saturday's game against New Jersey, which the Devils won, 6-4. The first c

<< Stars down Wild in SO
Dallas, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamie Benn scored the winner in the shootout as the Dallas Stars took a 2-1 win over the Minnesota Wild on Saturday. In the second round, Benn cut out to the right before coming back to the middle and sn

<< Rose's Bulls race past Bucks
Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Derrick Rose set the tone right from the opening tip Saturday, scoring 16 of his team's first 18 points as the Chicago Bulls routed the Milwaukee Bucks, 113-90. Rose finished with 26 points and 13 as

<< Green Bay dominates Milwaukee, remains undefeated
Green Bay, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Julie Wojta and Sarah Eichler each scored 16 points to lead No. 10 Green Bay as the Phoenix remained undefeated, dominating Milwaukee, 85-39, at Kress Events Center on Saturday. Green Bay (20-0, 10-0

Jazz take down Lakers >>
Salt Lake City, UT (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Al Jefferson scored 18 points and Paul Millsap added 16 with each pulling down 13 rebounds in Utah's 96-87 win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Josh Howard and Derrick Favors both had 12 points and En

Parker sets franchise assists record as Spurs down Thunder >>
San Antonio, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Tony Parker exploded for a season-high 42 points and added nine assists to become the Spurs' all-time assists leader as San Antonio handled Oklahoma City 107-96 at AT&T Center on Saturday. Tim Du

Pangos, Sacre lift No. 24 Gonzaga over Pepperdine >>
Malibu, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Pangos and Robert Sacre each scored 15 points, lifting the 24th-ranked Gonzaga Bulldogs over the Pepperdine Waves, 72-60. Guy Landry Edi added 13 points for the Bulldogs (18-4, 8-2 WCC), who bounc

San Diego State handles TCU >>
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jamaal Franklin poured in a game-high 24 points on 7-of-11 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds as No. 17 San Diego State handled TCU, 83-73, on Saturday. James Rahon netted 16 points to go with five reb

Batum makes 9 three-pointers, Blazers down Nuggets >>
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - There was nothing wrong with Nicolas Batum's left knee on Saturday. Batum returned from a brief two-game absence and nailed a franchise record nine three-pointers en route to a career-high 33 points

MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.