Found 1894 RESULTS by Staff Writer - StatFox
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1. Underdog Dallas takes one more shot - 5/13/2008
Being down 3-0 in the Western Conference finals isn't even the worst part for the Dallas Stars. This is: Dallas has yet to lead the Detroit Red Wings for a single second in any game this series. How can the Stars fathom winning four straight games under those circumstances? They can't. Instead, players came away from practice Tuesday talking about playing for pride in Game 4 on Wednesday night, hoping merely to send the series back to Detroit for Game 5.
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2. Hockey Bettors finicky about Philly - 5/12/2008
Philadelphia’s Danny Briere laughed off questions about officiating and whether Pittsburgh Penguins stars Sidney Crosby and Evgeni Malkin get more calls than they deserve. He didn’t want to get too involved in criticism, especially now that the Philadelphia Flyers are down 2-0 to their cross-state rivals in the Eastern Conference finals. Briere took an elbow to the back of the head from Malkin in the second period of Sunday night’s 4-2 loss in Game 2 at Pittsburgh.
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3. Almost No Magic Left for Orlando - 5/12/2008
Shortly after going down 3-1 in the second round, Orlando's point guard Jameer Nelson said the Magic would go on the road and beat Detroit to extend the series. "What am I supposed to do? Guarantee a loss?" Nelson asked Monday. "We've got to win the game. We have the confidence that we can do it. -"I believe it." The Pistons have heard their fair share of guarantees over the years, usually from teammate Rasheed Wallace, and they responded to Nelson's with a collective yawn.
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4. A Pair of Lousy Aces - 5/11/2008
While Houston Astros ace Roy Oswalt is beginning to settle down after a poor start, there’s no telling how long San Francisco Giants disappointment Barry Zito’s problems will last. Oswalt looks to win his fourth straight decision for the surging Astros as they face Zito and the Giants on Monday night in the opener of a four-game series.
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5. Celtics Defenseless on the Road - 5/12/2008
Kevin Garnett stutter-stepped as he reached a potential right turn down a seemingly endless hallway early Sunday morning. After losing Game 3, he and Boston teammate Paul Pierce were on their way to a media interview room proving difficult to find.“Where’s it at?” Garnett growled. That’s the Celtics, searching for directions on the NBA’s playoff highway. The kings of the road are lost.
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6. Desperate Dallas Underdog on Home Ice - 5/11/2008
Really, it’s hard to imagine that Chris Osgood is completely correct in his assessment. “Just a little altercation that’s over with now,” the Detroit goalie insisted Sunday, a day after the Red Wings’ 2-1 victory over the Dallas Stars was marred by an ugly ending. But don’t expect the fracas to be forgotten. In the closing seconds of Game 2 of the Western Conference final, Osgood used the handle of his stick to poke Dallas’ Mike Ribeiro, who responded from behind the net with a two-handed stick slash across the goalie’s chest.
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7. Sunday Night MLB – Red Sox at Twins - 5/11/2008
The Boston Red Sox have a feared lineup, but it’s known more for sluggers David Ortiz and Manny Ramirez than for Kevin Youkilis. Perhaps that should change. Youkilis looks to continue his hot hitting Sunday night when the Red Sox and Minnesota Twins play the third of their four-game series at the Metrodome. Youkilis has given Boston (24-15, +8.5 units) solid production in the past, with more than 150 hits and 35 doubles in both 2006 and 2007 - his first two full seasons in the majors. However, the first baseman appears to be taking his hitting to a new level in 2008.
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8. Parker vs Paul – A Mother of a Matchup - 5/11/2008
Besides winning titles, there’s another reason Tony Parker loves playing in the NBA. The San Antonio point guard thrives on a good 1-on-1 matchup, such as the one he’s got going with New Orleans’ Chris Paul in the Western Conference semifinals. “It’s great fun, great matchup, a great challenge for me. So I’m having a lot of fun,” Parker said Saturday. “It’s always good when you play against the best players. That’s why you want to play in the NBA, to play against the best.”
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9. Lakers Understand Underdog Position - 5/10/2008
After opening the playoffs with six straight wins, the Lakers aren't about to get discouraged by one loss. Los Angeles still leads Utah 2-1 in the Western Conference semifinals and can take a commanding lead home with a victory Sunday afternoon in Game 4. Utah's 104-99 win in Game 3 on Friday night was the Lakers' first loss since April 8 against Portland. Los Angeles won its remaining four games to claim the top seed in the Western Conference, then stormed through the first round with a sweep of Denver and took a quick 2-0 lead on Utah.
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10. Cleveland in favorable spot down 0-2 - 5/10/2008
Over the years, one of the safest bets during the NBA Playoffs is wagering on the team that is down 0-2 in a series. The reasons are self-evident; the team knows if they lose, for all intents and purposes the series is over and gives superior effort. The other aspect is human nature, not many human beings press on with unlimited determination, knowing they have to win two of the next five games. This has been true this playoff season, as all teams down 0-2 are 8-2 and 7-2-1 against the spread. Tonight, in prime time, Cleveland has their shot.
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11. Orlando Favored to Even Series - 5/9/2008
Orlando Magic coach Stan Van Gundy sees a little bit of Chauncey Billups in Pistons rookie Rodney Stuckey. Both have good size and strength for point guards and are tough to keep out of the paint. But Billups has more than 100 playoff games under his belt, and Stuckey is appearing in just his second series. The Pistons are aggressively treating Billups' strained hamstring and hope he can return for Game 4 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series in Orlando on Saturday. But he'll be a game-time decision, and it's not hard to guess who Van Gundy and the Magic would prefer to face.
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12. Jazz must hit Right Notes to Cover at Home - 5/8/2008
The Utah Jazz are hoping home court really is an advantage. Right now, they'll take any edge they can get. The Los Angeles Lakers lead the Jazz 2-0 in the Western Conference semifinals and are coming to Utah with thoughts of a second straight sweep in the playoffs. The Jazz had hoped to come out of Los Angeles with a split, but were back home Thursday trying to figure out new ways to slow down league MVP Kobe Bryant and the Lakers while reviving their own sporadic offense. Utah is 39-5 and 29-14-1 ATS at EnergySolutions Arena, and the Jazz need energy and solutions quickly.
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13. Hornets buzzing into San Antonio - 5/8/2008
Chris Paul turned 23 on Tuesday. The New Orleans Hornets’ talented point guard said he had a low-key birthday, just hanging out with his teammates. The big surprise party might happen Thursday night, courtesy of Paul and his team if they can beat the defending champion San Antonio Spurs yet again by picking up a Game 3 win to take a 3-0 lead in the Western Conference semifinals.
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14. Game 2 Total looks one-sided in BeanTown - 5/8/2008
LeBron James says he won't miss baskets like he did in the series opener between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Boston Celtics. Neither, James believes, will Paul Pierce or Ray Allen. James missed all but two of his 18 shots from the field Tuesday night in Cleveland's 76-72 loss, including a layup that would have tied it with 9 seconds remaining. Pierce and Allen also went a combined 2-for-18, with Allen failing to score for the first time in 852 games.
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15. Orlando needs a little magic in Game 3 with Detroit - 5/6/2008
The Orlando Magic know what it takes to beat the Detroit Pistons. Take care of the ball. Don't force shots. Find the open man. And don't get frustrated. They have done that for stretches of their second-round, best-of-seven series - none more impressive than a 36-point third quarter in a 100-93 loss on Monday. They just haven't done nearly enough of it.
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16. Lakers expect Physical Play as Favorites - 5/7/2008
Pau Gasol had a simple explanation for Utah’s staggering 58-41 rebounding advantage over the Los Angeles Lakers in Game 1 of the Western Conference semifinals. “We were a little slow reacting to the ball,” the Lakers’ center said Monday. Despite the disparity, the Lakers beat the Jazz 109-98 Sunday as 8.5-point home favorites to begin the best-of-seven series, thanks mainly to a 16-point advantage at the free throw line and Utah’s 37.9 percent field goal percentage.
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17. White Sox favored despite scoring issues - 5/6/2008
A pair of games last week between the Minnesota Twins and the Chicago White Sox sent the AL Central foes in different directions. Minnesota has not lost since that series began and Chicago has hardly been able to score, let alone win. The first-place Twins, winners of five straight, look to extend the White Sox’s losing streak and their hitting woes as the teams open a three-game series Tuesday night.
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18. Boston’s Matsuzaka tries to tame Tigers - 5/4/2008
Boston’s Daisuke Matsuzaka has shown no lingering effects from a recent bout with the flu, Detroit thou not physically ill might be seeing double after being swept by the Twins in Minnesota over the weekend. The Boston Red Sox right-hander looks to remain perfect while trying for another strong outing against the Tigers when the teams open a four-game set Monday night at Comerica Park.
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19. Pistons continue one-sided Betting Trend - 5/4/2008
The Detroit-Orlando series is not as intriguing as the other three matchups in the NBA playoffs. The Pistons and Magic are trying to change that. A day after Detroit beat Orlando 91-72 in Game 1 of their second-round series, players on both teams took verbal swipes at each other. Magic forward Rashard Lewis took down Theo Ratliff with a physical foul midway through the fourth quarter, and Jason Maxiell quickly got in Lewis’ face with a menacing look and choice words.
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20. Sunday Night MLB – Cubs at Cards - 5/4/2008
Aramis Ramirez’s absence from the lineup didn’t keep the Chicago Cubs from their first win over the St. Louis Cardinals this season. The Cubs hope to have their third baseman back Sunday night when they close out this series against their division rival and try to regain first place in the NL Central. Chicago (18-12, +3.3 units) and St. Louis (19-12, +5) have split the first two of this three-game series. The Cardinals won 5-3 in 11 innings on Friday, and the Cubs bounced back Saturday with a 9-3 win.
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21. Rested Lakers prepare for Utah - 5/4/2008
While the Los Angeles Lakers’ players were watching the finale of the Houston-Utah first-round playoff series Friday night at a Hollywood restaurant, Bryant received an e-mail informing him he had won his first Most Valuable Player award. While it hasn’t been made official, the honor has been expected since the completion of the regular season 2 1/2 weeks ago, when the Bryant-led Lakers finished with a Western Conference-best 57-25 record.
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22. Pittsburgh and Bettors not buying Comeback Talk - 5/3/2008
Pardon the Pittsburgh Penguins for wondering what all the fuss is about. They’re up 3-1 in their second-round series and can finish off the New York Rangers in Game 5 on Sunday at home. They’ve lost only once in more than a month, and they haven’t lost in Pittsburgh in more than two months. But with an extra day off between games, all the Penguins have heard since losing 3-0 in Game 4 on Thursday is how the Rangers exploited their weaknesses. How the chink in their armor is exposed.
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23. D-Backs look for another Webb Gem - 5/2/2008
Based on the first month of the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks have several starting pitchers that could qualify as the ace of a major-league staff. Despite the stiff competition, Brandon Webb remains the club’s unquestioned No. 1 starter. Webb looks to match a franchise record by winning his seventh straight start to open the season as the Diamondbacks continue their three-game series against the New York Mets on Saturday at Chase Field, where they 63-37 against the money line in home games over the last two seasons.
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24. Montreal tries to add luck as favorites - 5/2/2008
The time has come for Guy Carbonneau’s lucky tie to make another appearance. The Montreal Canadiens are 3-0 when their coach has worn the wildly colorful silk Hermes tie his wife Line gave him as a birthday present in March. “It’s coming out of the closet,” Carbonneau said following the team’s afternoon practice Friday. Carbonneau first wore it March 24 when Montreal clinched a playoff spot with a win over Ottawa, and two more times in the first round against Boston, the series opener and the decisive seventh game.
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25. Derby figures point to just one - 5/2/2008
(Courtesy DRF.com) - Trainer Rick Dutrow says Big Brown is a lock in the Kentucky Derby. Nineteen other horses might have something to say about that however when the 134th “Run for the Roses” comes to us Saturday afternoon from Churchill Downs. Our partners over at the Daily Racing Form have everything you need to make this a big day of horse betting. Read on as Dick Jerardi takes us through some of the key handicapping figures.
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