Clippers pound Magic to end Orlando's six-game run
Basketball Betting Lines
12/04/2006 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Elton Brand poured in 31 points as the Los Angeles Clippers cooled off the Orlando Magic with a 116-91 thrashing at the Staples Center.
Tim Thomas scored 20 points, going 5-of-7 from three point range for the Clippers, who have won two of their last three after losing five straight.
Corey Maggette had 17 points and Sam Cassell had 13 for LA, which set season- highs in field-goal percentage (60.3), points in a half (66) and points in a game (116).
"We did a lot of good things," said LA head coach Mike Dunleavy. "We had good ball movement and played good defense."
Dwight Howard had 16 points and seven rebounds for the Magic, who saw their six-game winning streak come to an end. It was just Orlando's second loss in its last 12 games.
"We didn't have a whole lot of energy tonight and we got a good ole fashioned butt-whooping," said Magic head coach Brian Hill.
Brand jumped out to a hot start, scoring 17 of his 31 points in the first quarter as the Clippers took a 35-29 lead.
Chris Kaman converted a three-point play to start the second quarter to ignite an 11-4 LA run that gave the Clippers a 46-33 lead on Quinton Ross' reverse layup with 7:48 left before halftime.
After the teams traded baskets, Maggette converted two free throws and dropped in a layup to make it a 17-point game as LA took a 66-49 lead into the break.
Orlando came out strong to start the second half, as Grant Hill scored two straight baskets to cap an 11-4 run that brought the Magic within 70-60.
Orlando managed to get within eight in the quarter, but LA ripped off seven straight points, capped by a Thomas' three, to take an 88-75 lead into the fourth.
The Magic pulled to within 10 on a Darko Milicic layup, but Thomas drained another trey to start a 9-0 Clippers' burst that effectively put the game away.
Game Notes
The Clippers improved to 8-2 as the host this season...Hedo Turkoglu scored 15 points while Jameer Nelson had 13 for the Magic, who are 3-1 on their current six-game road trip...LA has won four straight against Orlando.
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with a 95-84 victory over the hapless Philadelphia 76ers.
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FOOTBALL BETTING : Cassel Signs Contract
Kansas City, MO - Kansas City has not officially named Matt Cassel its starting quarterback, but there can be no doubt now.
NFL Betting
After praising his leadership and work ethic through spring workouts, the Chiefs announced Tuesday they had signed the 27-year-old Cassel to a multiyear contract. Terms were not disclosed, but he will almost certainly be one of the highest-paid members of the team.
"We are excited to be able to reach a long-term agreement for Matt Cassel to be a Kansas City Chief for many years to come," owner and board chairman Clark Hunt said in a statement. "His proven leadership on and off the field will be a tremendous asset to the organization."
Patriots made him their franchise player, meaning his salary for this season will be about $15 million.
New head coach Todd Haley, taking over for Herm Edwards after a 2-14 season, refused to name a starter at any position during offseason workouts. But it was obvious to everyone the team belonged to Cassel.
"I go out there each and every day with that focus that I'm the starter," Cassel said during a June minicamp. "Competition brings out the best in everybody."
The signing will come as welcome news to Cassel's new coaches and teammates. Amiable and hardworking, online football betting he appeared to win over everyone at minicamp.
"I think he's got some unique leadership qualities. I think his teammates like him and have respect for him. I think he's doing a pretty good job on the field, too," Haley said last month. "He's doing everything that I'm asking him, that our coaches are asking him to do. I don't have one single complaint how he's carrying himself."
After one workout, wide receiver Devard Darling declared Cassel "a breath of fresh air."
"He has a lot of swagger, a lot of confidence. It's good for us," said Darling. "We trust in him that he's going to go out there and lead us all the way."
nse to accommodate his specific abilities.
Trapped on the bench behind Heisman winners Carson Palmer and Matt Leinart at USC and then unable to unseat Super Bowl MVP Brady at New England, Cassel seemed destined to be a backup all his life. As Brady was helped off the field last September, Cassel seized the opportunity he'd been waiting for since high school.
In his only sustained action since his teens, he hit 349 of 555 passes for 3,949 yards at New England. He had 23 touchdown passes and 13 interceptions as the Patriots, who had gone unbeaten through the regular season the year before, finished 11-5 and out of the playoffs.
Chiefs general manager Scott Pioli, who had been Bill Belichick's assistant in New England, engineered the trade after the Patriots became convinced that Brady would recover fully from his knee operation.
"Since Matt arrived in Kansas City, he has embraced the team and the community," Pioli said. "His work ethic, his ability and competitive presence is what we expect from our players."
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Mayweather picked to beat De La Hoya
LAS VEGAS, NEVADA -- Golden Boy Oscar De La Hoya and his rival Floyd Mayweather Jr. arrived at the MGM Grand here Wednesday amid the pomp and pandemonium befitting two of the biggest stars in the sport who are about to duke it out for the WBC super welterweight crown this Saturday (Sunday in Manila).
As of Wednesday, MySportsbook.com closed its book with Mayweather a favorite to defeat De La Hoya at -170 (a $100 bet wins $70), while De La Hoya is a +140 underdog (a $100 bet wins $140).
Mayweather arrived at about 11:30 a.m. on a big truck with his face and a big "World's Best Pound-for-Pound" sign scribbled across the vehicle. He was accompanied by his entourage made up of rappers and his training team.
A crowd of close to 3,000 eager fans packed the MGM Grand lobby, with their cameras in tow, all trying to vie for position to get a good angle at Mayweather, who is acknowledged as the world's best fighter pound-for-pound.
Eric Gomez, Golden Boy Promotions vice-president, described the fan turnout as "amazing" and swore he had never seen anything quite like this event.
"The crowd was fantastic. Everybody was just too eager to see the two fighters," said ALA manager Michael Aldeguer, who was among those who waited at the lobby together with his ward Rey "Boom Boom" Bautista and AJ Banal.
De La Hoya made his own grand entrance at the hotel lobby at around 12:30 p.m. accompanied by GBP chief executive officer Richard Schaefer and trainer Freddie Roach.
The same group of fans who trooped to see Mayweather also lingered around to get a close look at De La Hoya, who has been secretly working out at a Las Vegas gym for days after arriving from his main training camp in Puerto Rico.
The golden boy then took part in a closed-door afternoon workout with Bautista and Banal. The two, along with Aldeguer and wife Christine, as well as an HBO crew were the only ones allowed inside the gym.
De La Hoya and Mayweather take part in today's final press conference before the official weigh-in this Friday.
Ring Magazine, the acknowledged bible of boxing, reported in its June 2007 issue that 12 out of 20 boxing experts it interviewed have favored Mayweather to defeat De la Hoya, with only 8 favoring the latter.
But Filipino ring icon Manny Pacquiao said in a recent interview with The Freeman's Emmanuel Villaruel that De La Hoya will win by unanimous decision over Mayweather.
To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com for all your bet on boxing needs.