Bobcats continue push towards postseason, host Clippers
Basketball Betting Lines
03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Charlotte Bobcats aim to maintain their recent winning ways and further solidify their postseason hopes in tonight's clash with a Los Angeles Clippers team that'll be seeking to end a five-game slide when it pays a visit to Time Warner Cable Arena.
Charlotte has never reached the playoffs or had a winning season since entering the NBA in 2004-05, but a current stretch of four straight victories has put the club at 32-31 and into a tie with Toronto and Miami for sixth place in the Eastern Conference. Three of those wins have come at home, where the Bobcats have amassed an excellent 23-8 record this season.
The team's latest win occurred on the road, however, a 102-87 triumph over sagging Philadelphia on Wednesday. Charlotte built a comfortable 62-44 lead at intermission and was up by as much as 29 points in the second half.
"I didn't love our finish, but [the 76ers] had a lot to do with it," head coach Larry Brown told the Bobcats' official site afterward. "But all-in-all, on a back-to-back [set of games] and how we've struggled on the road, this was a big win for us."
Gerald Wallace led six Charlotte scorers in double figures with 28 points on 9-of-10 shooting, with Stephen Jackson amassing 24 points and 10 rebounds on the evening.
The Bobcats will be trying to win five in a row for the first time since a six-game tear from January 9-20. They've taken four of their last five meetings with the Clippers, although Los Angeles' only victory during that span was a 98-94 decision at the Staples Center on February 22.
The Clippers have gone just 2-7 since that game, however, and had their present skid extended with Wednesday's 108-97 defeat at Miami. The loss kept Los Angeles winless on a five-game road trip that concludes Saturday in San Antonio.
Rasual Butler poured in 31 points for the Clippers and knocked down back-to- back three-pointers that brought his team within 75-70 midway through the third quarter. However, the Heat countered with a 15-2 run to extend the margin back to double digits, and Los Angeles never got closer than nine points down the rest of the way.
"[The Heat] came out and shot the ball really well," Clippers head coach Kim Hughes said. "We missed a ton of layups and struggled with easy looks."
Los Angeles, now 7-26 on the road this season and losers of eight straight as the visitor, received 16 points from Chris Kaman and 12 out of Steve Blake in Wednesday's setback. The Clippers haven't prevailed in an enemy arena since a 90-82 win over Chicago on February 2.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Boston Celtics will be attempting to avoid a third straight loss when the Atlantic Division leaders host the road-challenged Indiana Pacers tonight at TD Garden. Boston followed up a two-point setback at red
<< Rangers and Thrashers both try to end slides in Atlanta
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of four-game losing streaks have made a possible
road to the postseason a bit harder for the Rangers and Thrashers. Only one
team will be able to reverse its misfortunes tonight.
Atlanta will try to sweep the season
<< Playoff-bound Cavs make a stop in south Philly
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A large lead atop the Central Division and playoff berth
already sewed up has allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to give LeBron James some
rest for the stretch run. The reigning NBA MVP is expected to return from his
two-gam
<< Spurs, Wolves square off in Twin Cities
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs will try to continue their mastery of
the Minnesota Timberwolves when the two Western Conference inhabitants get
together tonight at the Target Center.
San Antonio has won 10 straight and 15 of the pa
<< Sabres try to run win streak to four games versus Wild
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Buffalo Sabres will aim for a fourth consecutive
victory when they welcome the Minnesota Wild for an interconference clash at
HSBC Arena.
The Sabres' three-game winning streak is the club's longest since a season-
bes
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Anaheim Ducks aim for their first win in nearly a month tonight when they host a Nashville Predators club that is struggling to hold onto one of the last playoff spots in the Western Conference. The Ducks have dropped
Bucks, Jazz to square off in battle of surging clubs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Two of the NBA's hottest teams clash in Brew City tonight
as the Utah Jazz pay a visit to the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Jazz won their fourth straight contest and improved to 2-0 on a four-game
road trip Wednesday in Auburn Hil
Stars return home to face Williams and Kings >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Stars haven't done much to further their playoff
chances since the Olympic break, but an upcoming six-game homestand for a team
that has been strong this year as the host could do the trick.
Dallas begins that residenc
Lakers visit Phoenix for key Pacific showdown >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The two top teams in the Pacific Division meet for the last
time in the regular season tonight, when the second-place Phoenix Suns welcome
the front-running Los Angeles Lakers to the U.S. Airways Center.
The defending NBA
Pistons resume homestand with visit from Wizards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of Eastern Conference also-rans continue playing out
the string tonight in Auburn Hills, where the Detroit Pistons play host to the
Washington Wizards.
The Pistons fell to 1-1 on a three-game homestand Wednesday, wh
Kurt Warner to start, Matt Leinart to watch
Despite the debate that's swirling , Kurt Warner will remain the starting quarterback for the Arizona Cardinals, coach Dennis Green said today. The Arizona Cardinals are the +7 point underdog at online sportsbook MySportsbook.com for this Sunday's game.
Green's comment came in a statement released by the team following an ESPN report that Green decided that rookie Matt Leinart would replace Warner as starter for Sunday's game at Atlanta.
"Generally talking about the starting lineup is not something we do," Green told the AP. "However, given the speculation that was out there we want to make it clear. We're disappointed after last week, but we still expect to be a playoff football team and we fully expect Kurt Warner to be the quarterback that leads us. That has not changed."
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