05/17/2007 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Bruce Bowen hit the go-ahead three-pointer with 36.4 seconds left, and the Spurs took advantage of the Amare Stoudemire suspension to beat the Phoenix Suns, 88-85, in Game 5 of their Western Conference semifinal series.
Manu Ginobili had 26 points and 10 rebounds, and Tim Duncan had 21 points and 12 boards for the Spurs, who took a 3-2 lead in the best-of-seven set and can advance to the conference finals with a victory in Game 6 Friday at San Antonio.
Shawn Marion was big offensively for the Suns with 24 points and 17 rebounds, but Phoenix blew a 16-point lead in the second quarter and couldn't come out on top despite holding the Spurs to 33 first-half points. Steve Nash had 19 points and 12 assists in a losing effort.
However, the Spurs are one win away from their third trip to the conference finals in five years, and a possible meeting with the Utah Jazz.
Both teams were shorthanded for the game, but the Suns were without their top scorer and rebounder due to a one-game suspension. On Tuesday, the NBA suspended Phoenix forwards Stoudemire and Boris Diaw one game apiece and Spurs forward Robert Horry for two games. The penalties came as the result of a flagrant foul call on Horry, who delivered a forearm to Nash with 18.2 seconds left in Monday's 104-98 Phoenix victory at San Antonio.
The Spurs used a 17-6 run to end the game. They trailed 79-71 with 5:18 left after a layup from James Jones, but San Antonio eventually tied it at 81 on a pair of Duncan free throws with 1:55 left.
Duncan came up with a key block and Ginobili a steal with just over a minute left. Ginobili gave the ball back to the Suns on a bad pass, but Marion missed a turnaround jumper.
The Spurs then went ahead for good as Bowen nailed a three from the right corner.
Marion missed a three, but two Duncan missed foul shots kept Phoenix in the game. However, Nash missed a three.
Nash did have two free throws to get the Suns within a point with 11.7 seconds left, but Ginobili made two at the charity stripe. Nash then missed another shot from beyond the arc, and Michael Finley nailed two foul shots with 5.5 seconds left to make it 88-83, effectively sealing the win.
Raja Bell made a layup with 1.6 seconds to go, but the Spurs successfully inbounded the ball to run out the clock.
Finley had 13 points and Tony Parker 11 for the Spurs, while Kurt Thomas had 15 points and 12 boards for Phoenix.
The Suns used a make-shift lineup to replace Stoudemire, who is averaging 23.9 points and 12.1 rebounds per game in the playoffs. Raja Bell started at forward with Marion, while Leandro Barbosa joined Nash in the backcourt, and Thomas started at center.
The Suns scored 16 straight points for a 24-11 lead in the opening quarter and were ahead 24-13 going into the second. San Antonio went 4-of-18 from the field in the opening 12 minutes and Marion was off to a fabulous start with 11 points and seven boards. However, he had just four points in the second half.
Although Phoenix led by 11 at the half, the Suns lost an opportunity to pull away in the second. A layup by Barbosa moved the lead to 40-24 with 2:47 left in the half, but the Spurs were still within striking distance at the break, thanks to shoddy shooting by the home team.
Phoenix was 17-of-40 shooting in the first half, while the Spurs were 13-of-39, and San Antonio capitalized on its chance in the third, drawing within 46-42 on a Duncan layup inside of nine minutes left in the period.
Phoenix moved to a double-digit lead later in the quarter and was ahead 62-56 going into the fourth after Ginobili hit a three in the closing seconds.
Thomas made two free throws for a 67-56 lead with 10:24 left, but San Antonio rallied with a 10-2 run, with Ginobili and Bowen hitting threes.
Game Notes
The 13 points represented the least for the Spurs in a quarter the entire season...The Spurs have won eight straight Game 5s in the playoffs,
<< Royals rally past A's
Oakland, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Shealy drove in the deciding run in the
ninth, as the Kansas City Royals rallied for two runs in their final at-bat to
edge the Oakland Athletics, 4-3, in the third matchup of a four-game series at
McAfee
<< Sosa, Easley lead Mets past Cubs
Flushing, NY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jorge Sosa allowed one hit over seven-plus
innings and Damion Easley belted a two-run homer to power the New York Mets to
an 8-1 win over the Cubs in the third contest of a four-game series.
The start of
<< A true walk-off win for Padres
San Diego, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Kouzmanoff drew a bases-loaded walk
in the bottom of the ninth inning to send San Diego to a 3-2 win over
Cincinnati in the final contest of three at Petco Park.
With Bronson Arroyo still
<< Wang, Matsui help Yankees earn doubleheader split
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chien-Ming Wang pitched seven solid innings,
yielding just one run, and Hideki Matsui went 3-for-5 with four RBI as the New
York Yankees secured a doubleheader split with an 8-1 win at U.S. Cellular
Field.
Red Wings aim for Game 4 win against Pronger-less Ducks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings will try to grab a two-game lead in
the Western Conference finals this evening, when they visit the Anaheim Ducks
for Game 4 at the Honda Center.
The Red Wings made a statement in Game 3 on Tuesday ni
Phillies' Howard set for rehab >>
Lakewood, NJ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Philadelphia Phillies first baseman
Ryan Howard, who has been sidelined with a left quadriceps strain, will begin
a rehab assignment in the minors next week.
Howard will begin a two-day rehab sti
Bulls, Pistons clash in Game 6 at the United Center >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Chicago Bulls try to force a Games 7 against the
Detroit Pistons in their Eastern Conference semifinals series, as the teams
battle tonight at the United Center.
After dropping the first three games of the series, Chi
Twins turn to Santana in hopes of averting sweep by Tribe >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Converted reliever Fausto Carmona looks for a second
straight successful outing against Minnesota when the Cleveland Indians host
the Twins today in the final installment of a three-game series at Jacobs
Field.
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.
Sports Betting News: NFL Team History | Football Betting | Baseball Betting | Basketball Betting | Hockey Betting | Golf Betting | Tennis Betting | Auto Racing Betting | Horse Racing Betting | Soccer Betting