Rockets wrap up road trip in Memphis
Basketball Betting Lines
02/14/2012 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Houston Rockets will wrap up a six-game road trip tonight against the Southwest Division-rival Memphis Grizzlies at FedEx Forum.
The Rockets are 3-2 on the journey and suffered a 106-97 loss at Golden State the last time out on Sunday in Oakland, where Kevin Martin led five players in double-digit scoring with 28 points on 7-of-16 shooting. Luis Scola had 14 points, while both Chandler Parsons and Courtney Lee netted 11 points.
Kyle Lowry finished with 10 points and nine assists for the Rockets, who had a three-game winning streak stopped and fell to 6-9 away from Space City. Lowry has handed out at least eight assists in 15 games this season.
"It just seemed to me like...we were playing in eight inches of water," Rockets coach Kevin McHale said. "We just couldn't get going."
McHale's squad was held to a season-low 31 field goals (31-of-75), but also made a season-high 11 three-pointers (11-of-29). On the milestone watch, Scola (4,998) needs just two points to reach 5,000 for his career. Lee has reached double figures in scoring over a season-high four consecutive games.
Following tonight's game in Memphis, the Rockets will head back to the Lone Star State for a six-game residency versus Oklahoma City, Minnesota, Utah, Memphis, Philadelphia and Toronto.
The Grizzlies will put the finishing touches on a five-game homestand Tuesday and look to rebound from a recent loss versus the Jazz.
In Sunday's 98-88 setback to Utah, Rudy Gay scored a team-best 22 points and both Marc Gasol and Mike Conley posted 17 apiece for the Grizzlies, who had a two-game winning streak stopped and lost for the eighth time in 12 tries.
"We have to get better at a lot of things," Gay admitted.
Tony Allen scored 12 points in a losing cause for Memphis. The Grizzlies, who fell back to .500 at 14-14 this season, are a decent 9-5 on Beale Street this season and will pay a visit to New Jersey on Wednesday after their homestand. After playing nine of the past 12 games on the road, Memphis is in the midst of playing seven of eight games at home, including this five-game homestand.
Memphis is 13-11 since Zach Randolph has been sidelined with a torn right MCL and defeated Houston, 113-93, back on Dec. 30 this season at FedEx Forum. Randolph finished with 23 points and nine rebounds in that one and Gasol added 20 points and eight boards. Martin scored 21 points to lead the Rockets, who have still won 12 of the last 16 meetings between the Southwest foes.
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs are starting to pick up their game on the road and will resume a nine-game Rodeo Road Trip tonight against the lowly Detroit Pistons at The Palace of Auburn Hills. The Spurs have won seven in a row ov
<< Heat finish hectic stretch in Indy
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Miami Heat try to continue one of their best starts in
team history this evening when they visit the Indiana Pacers at Bankers Life
Fieldhouse.
Miami kept rolling on Monday, as LeBron James scored 35 points to lead the
<< Hornets' Gordon sidelined six weeks after surgery
New Orleans, LA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New Orleans Hornets guard Eric Gordon is
expected to be sidelined for six weeks after undergoing arthroscopic knee
surgery on Tuesday.
The Hornets said the procedure was performed "to clean up his r
<< Anderson passes first-round test in San Jose
San Jose, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Fifth-seeded Kevin Anderson outlasted Grigor
Dimitrov of Bulgaria, 2-6, 7-6 (7-5), 7-6 (7-3) in first-round action at the
SAP Open on Monday.
Dimitrov cruised in the first set before losing a second-set t
<< Canucks edge Coyotes in lengthy shootout
Vancouver, BC (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Ryan Kesler scored the game-winning goal in
the sixth round of the shootout as the Vancouver Canucks edged the Phoenix
Coyotes, 2-1, at Rogers Arena.
Kesler moved in slowly and fired a quick wrist sho
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Back home after a successful and lengthy road trip, the Central Division-leading Chicago Bulls are scheduled to play their next six games on familiar territory and will host the Sacramento Kings tonight. The Bulls own an E
Lin leads Knicks into Toronto >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Linsanity goes north of the border this evening when Jeremy
Lin and the New York Knicks shoot for a sixth straight win against the Toronto
Raptors at Air Canada Centre.
One night after netting a career-best 38 points
Jazz close out stretch in Oklahoma City >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Utah just might be a sitting duck when it finishes a
grueling three games in three nights road stretch tonight in Oklahoma City.
The Jazz lost to the Thunder, 101-87, in Salt Lake City last Friday and has
played
Suns, Nuggets clash at Pepsi Center >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Denver halted one losing streak on the road in its last
outing and will now try to stop its longest skid at home in nearly a decade
when they play host to the Phoenix Suns.
Ty Lawson scored 27 points on Saturday
Blazers try to halt home skid vs. Wizards >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers will try to halt a rare losing
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coming in off its second road victory.
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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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