Billups leads Pistons past Bucks

Basketball Betting Lines

02/21/2007 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Chauncey Billups scored 19 points, as the Detroit Pistons held on for an 84-83 win over the Milwaukee Bucks.

Milwaukee's Mo Williams missed a driving layup in the final seconds of regulation, and the Pistons slapped away the rebound to preserve the win.

Charlie Bell scored 22 points and grabbed seven rebounds for the Bucks, who fought back from a 15-point first-half deficit, but still fell for the fifth straight game, and for the 15th time in 17 games. Michael Redd returned from a knee injury and contributed 17 points, and Ruben Patterson added 18 points off the bench for the Bucks.

Andrew Bogut scored 15 points for Milwaukee

Rasheed Wallace scored 16 points and pulled down 11 boards for the Pistons, who have won eight of nine. Antonio McDyess added 15 points and seven boards off the bench, and Richard Hamilton finished with 12 points and seven boards for Detroit.

"It was ugly, but I'll take it," said Hamilton.

A Bell layup pulled the Bucks to within 84-83 with 34.7 ticks left, and a Wallace airball on the ensuing possession gave Milwaukee a chance at the win. Williams pushed his running shot hard off the backboard, though, and no one on the Bucks could come up with the rebound in time to get off another shot before the buzzer sounded.

"It was tough," said Bell of the loss. "It's just tough to keep losing this way, on last-second shots."

The Bucks had finally scratched their way into the lead with a 14-6 run to start the second half. A Redd trey kicked off the stretch, and a Bell layup closed it, posting Milwaukee to a 54-53 lead with 7:04 left in the third.

The Bucks led, 64-63, entering the fourth quarter.

The Pistons stretched out an early lead with an 8-0 run midway through the first quarter, capped by a Billups three that put Detroit ahead 16-6 with 6:46 left. The Pistons pushed their lead to 12 points later in the quarter, and led 28-18 entering the second.

Detroit's lead maxed out at 15 points late in the second quarter, at 47-32 with just 2:31 left, but a late Milwaukee run gave momentum to the home team entering the break. The Bucks scored eight straight to close the first half, five points from Bell, who sank a free throw with four seconds left that pulled Milwaukee to within 47-40 at the intermission.

Game Notes

Milwaukee has lost nine straight against Central Division opponents...Bell has scored in double figures in 15 straight games...Detroit outrebounded the Bucks, 48-38.

Wwwsingaporeair Basketball Betting News

<< Third-quarter drought dooms Hawks
Chicago, IL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Atlanta went through the definition of futile in the third quarter, ending the period without a field goal, as the Chicago Bulls widened a halftime edge and rolled to a 106-81 rout of the Hawks at the United

<< No. 23 Louisville explodes in second half to crush St. John's
Louisville, KY (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Angel McCoughtry scored 21 points and ripped down 14 rebounds as 23rd-ranked Louisville crushed Big East foe St. John's, 91-62. Helen Johnson also scored 21 points while Jazz Covington tallied 17 for t

<< Stastny and Avs down Calgary
Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Paul Stastny scored two power-play goals during a high-powered first period and Peter Budaj made 33 saves, as the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Calgary Flames, 4-3, at Pepsi Center. Milan Hejduk tallied

<< Kruger leads UNLV past No. 14 Air Force
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Kruger scored 14 points and added 10 assists to help the UNLV Rebels to a 60-50 victory over the 14th-ranked Air Force Falcons at Thomas & Mack Center. Joel Anthony added 10 points and nine re

<< Williams advances to quarters in Memphis
Memphis, TN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Seventh-seeded American Venus Williams advanced into the quarterfinals of the $175,000 Regions Morgan Keegan Championships and the Cellular South Cup with a 6-4, 6-4 victory over Denmark

Happy Returns: Nash leads Phoenix over Clips >>
Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Steve Nash scored 13 points and dished out 12 assists before spending a large chunk of the second half enjoying his return to the lineup from the bench, as Phoenix cruised from the outset in a 115-90

Sedin leads Canucks past Ducks in OT >>
Anaheim, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Daniel Sedin scored 2:19 into overtime, as the Vancouver Canucks won their fifth straight game with a 3-2 decision over the Anaheim Ducks at the Honda Center. Kevin Bieksa and Markus Naslund also scored fo

Kings edge Celts >>
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Martin scored 22 points as the Kings held off a late Boston rally to beat the Celtics, 104-101, and continued their domination in the series. Ron Artest contributed 18 points, eight rebounds a

Red Wings put home streak on the line against Blackhawks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Detroit Red Wings shoot for their 13th consecutive victory on home ice when the rival Chicago Blackhawks enter Joe Louis Arena tonight for a matchup between Central Division foes. Detroit has been tremendous in the Mot

Sharks hope to end skid vs. struggling Caps >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A pair of struggling teams meet this evening in the nation's capital, where the Washington Capitals host the San Jose Sharks at the Verizon Center. The Capitals have dropped four games in a row, while the Sharks come into

Marlins could start season without No. 2 starter Johnson

JUPITER, Fla. -- The Foorida Marlins are preparing for the likelihood that right-hander
Josh Johnson won't be ready when the season starts April 2.

Grapefruit League action starts Wednesday, but Johnson, penciled in as the No. 2 starter, hasn't even thrown off a mound at full speed since September. He's experienced some soreness in his right forearm.

MySportsbook.com have the Marlins listed with baseball betting lines at +800 to win the NL East this season .

''You guys know the math. If he's not on the hill then he becomes an opening day roster issue,'' manager Fredi Gonzalez said Saturday. ''We're borderline now.''

Johnson, who finished 12-7 with a 3.10 ERA in 2007, was supposed to throw on flat ground Saturday. That was canceled when he woke up with pain.

He played catch on Wednesday with no pain but felt discomfort in a throwing session on Thursday. He's expected to try again Sunday.

''Like we always said from the very beginning, we're going to take it easy on him,'' Gonzalez said. ''He didn't feel right, so we shut him down. We're going to take it back to step one and see where we're at.''

Among the candidates to take Johnson's spot in the rotation are left-hander Chris George and right-handers Yusmeiro Petit and Jose Garcia.

Right-hander Sergio Mitre, who missed most of last season with arm and shoulder problems, also is behind.

With Johnson's status doubtful, Gonzalez said right-hander Ricky Nolasco will stay in the rotation and no longer will be considered a candidate for closer.

Additional basbeall odds can be found at: www.MySportsbook.com

To visit this online sportsbook got to MySportsbook.com - this sportsbook accepts credit cards.