Anthony leads Nuggets past Blazers

Basketball Betting Lines

03/08/2010 - Denver, CO (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carmelo Anthony posted 30 points to lead Denver to a 118-106 victory over Portland in a Northwest Division battle.

J.R. Smith chipped in 22 points, and Chauncey Billups ended with 21, as the Nuggets shot 58.9 percent from the field to cap a 3-0 homestand.

Nene donated 14 points and seven rebounds for the victors.

Jerryd Bayless scored 24 points to lead the Trail Blazers, who received 19 points from Andre Miller and 16 from LaMarcus Aldridge. Portland had won five of six coming into the game.

Brandon Roy made just 3-of-14 from the floor for 12 points in defeat.

"Every time we would get it under 10, we would turn the ball over, miss some free throws or just something to allow them to get their momentum back," Blazers head coach Nate McMillan said.

Bayless hit from behind the arc and converted a three-point play to pull the visitors within 90-83 two minutes into the fourth quarter, but Denver answered with the next eight points.

Johan Petro ended the flurry with two free throws for a 15-point margin, and the Nuggets coasted from there.

"To beat a team like [Portland] with basically having an 8-to-10 point lead most of the night is a great win for us," Nuggets head coach George Karl said.

Denver scored the final nine points of the first quarter to pump its lead to 34-21. A Billups layup capped an 11-2 run with a layup for a 61-41 cushion with less than two minutes in the opening half.

The halftime score was 66-49, and the Trail Blazers were still down 89-75 going into the final stanza.

Game Notes

Anthony has scored 30-plus points in his last three games...Portland's Marcus Camby sat out due to an ankle injury, while Denver was without Kenyon Martin (knee) for a second straight game...Arron Afflalo had 13 points, and Petro had 10 rebounds and six points for Denver...Rudy Fernandez tallied 14 points for the Blazers.

Jazzspoets Basketball Betting News

<< Blazers C Przybilla to undergo surgery again
Portland, OR (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Portland Trail Blazers announced center Joel Przybilla will undergo surgery on his right patella tendon after he slipped in the shower at his home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Przybilla first ruptur

<< WTA renews partnership with Sony
St. Petersburg, FL (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The WTA Tour and Sony Ericsson announced a two-year extension of their existing partnership on Sunday. The deal will now keep Sony as the lead global sponsor for the tour through to the end of 2012. "

<< Trail Blazers-Nuggets, Box
PORTLAND (106)Batum 2-7 0-0 4, Aldridge 6-14 4-5 16, Howard 4-6 0-2 8, Miller 7-15 5-6 19, Roy 3-14 5-6 12, Fernandez 5-9 0-0 14, Pendergraph 0-0 0-0 0, Bayless 6-10 9-11 24, Webster 1-6 1-2 4, Cunningham 1-1 3-4 5. Totals 35-82 27-36 106.DENVER

<< Durant, Thunder drop Kings
Sacramento, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kevin Durant scored 27 points, grabbed eight rebounds and dished out five assists, and the Oklahoma City Thunder stayed hot with a 108-102 win over the Sacramento Kings. Russell Westbrook added 21 points a

<< Patriot League Tournament Recaps
Easton, PA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Jared Mintz hit the go-ahead jumper with 35 seconds left and finished with 14 points, as Lafayette held on for a 66-63 win over Holy Cross in the Patriot League semifinal. Jim Mower had a team-high 17 poi

Hornets aim to stop skid vs. Warriors >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The New Orleans Hornets are in danger of recording their longest losing streak in three years. Fortunately for the struggling club, it'll be facing one of the NBA's poorest road teams when the Golden State Warrior

Minus Parker, Spurs ready for clash with Cavs >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - News out of San Antonio wasn't good this weekend with the recent hand injury to Tony Parker. The Spurs hope they can get by without one of their leaders starting with tonight's showdown against LeBron James and the Cleveland

Hawks aim to bounce back against reeling Knicks >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Atlanta Hawks didn't open their current road trip the way they had planned this past weekend, but seem to have a good shot at bouncing back Monday night against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden. Atlanta ha

Mavs visit T-Wolves, shoot for 12th straight win >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The red-hot Dallas Mavericks will try to stretch their season-high winning streak to 12 games when they close out a short road trip tonight against the woeful Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center. Dallas kept its lo

Grizzlies, Nets collide in Memphis >>
(Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The Memphis Grizzlies will attempt to put their current home woes behind in this evening's clash with a New Jersey Nets squad that enters FedEx Forum off a rare positive result. Memphis has lost eight consecutive c

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.