Lakers oust Suns to set up Finals date with Boston

Basketball Betting Lines

05/30/2010 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant poured in 37 points as the Los Angeles Lakers gained their third straight trip to the NBA Finals with a 111-103 win over the Suns.

The defending NBA champions, who eliminated Phoenix in six games in the Western Conference finals, will have a familiar foe in the title series. For the second time in three years and for a record 12th time in NBA history, the Lakers will battle the Boston Celtics for the championship.

Last year, the Lakers secured their 15th title with a five-game victory over Orlando, but in 2008 Boston topped Los Angeles in six games. The Celtics, gunning for their record 18th title, are coming off a six-game series win over the Magic in the East finals. Game 1 will be Thursday in Los Angeles.

"Last time we played them, it was a great learning experience for us," Bryant said. "It taught us what it takes to be a champion. With the defensive intensity they play with, the tenacity they play with, we learned a great deal in that series."

Ron Artest, whose put-back gave the Lakers a dramatic 103-101 win in Game 5 on Thursday, ended with 25 points in the series clincher.

Amare Stoudemire led the way with 27 points for the Suns, who were denied their first NBA Finals appearance since 1993. They've never won the championship. It was also possibly Stoudemire's final game in a Phoenix uniform, as he's due to be a free agent this summer.

"I think those guys down the stretch hit tough shots," Stoudemire said. "Once we went on a run Kobe was able to bail them out. Kobe had energy down the stretch. We had energy, we gave it all we got, we fought back in both games, we were able to make a game out of it but just down the stretch that 18 (point lead) gave them just enough to get over the hump."

Steve Nash recorded 21 points and nine assists, while Channing Frye ended with 12 points and 13 rebounds.

"Going into the series, I thought they were the better team, but I thought we had a chance to do something special," Nash said. "I think the last four or five days, I've been questioning who the better team is, and have had a lot of belief that maybe we were, or at least maybe we could find a way to win the series regardless. I think that's a tribute to my teammates, their attitude, commitment."

The Lakers, who snapped a seven-game playoff skid in Phoenix, are bidding to become the first repeat champion since they won three in a row (2000-02) with Bryant teaming with Shaquille O'Neal.

"After we came back in the playoffs last year, I ran into Paul Pierce in a complex where my daughter lives in LA," Lakers coach Phil Jackson said. "I said, 'Get it back, we want to meet you in the finals.' So here it is almost a year later. We have this opportunity, both of us, to renew this rivalry."

Bryant scored 24 points in the second half, but the Suns, who trailed by as many as 18 in the third, trimmed the margin to 95-90 on Stoudemire's layup midway through the fourth.

Nash's reverse layup had the Suns within 99-96, and the crowd at US Airways Center was buzzing with 2:19 remaining. Bryant, though, stemmed the tide by canning a tough jumper from the right side, then after a steal from Lamar Odom, Bryant made two foul shots.

Phoenix never got closer than five the rest of the way, and Bryant, under heavy pressure from Grant Hill, nailed a right wing shot with 34.2 seconds left for a 107-100 difference. Bryant then jokingly tapped Suns coach Alvin Gentry, who could only smile at the incredible shot.

It was tight throughout the opening quarter, but the Lakers came away with a 37-34 edge going to the second. LA scored nine in a row in the middle portion of the second, gaining a 51-43 advantage. Andrew Bynum threw down an alley-oop jam and Jordan Farmar capped the rally with a three-pointer.

Bryant's three-ball in the closing seconds provided a 65-53 difference at the half and the Lakers were in front by double digits virtually the entire third quarter. The lead ballooned to 85-67 following an Artest hook shot with 2 1/2 minutes remaining. It was 91-74 moving to the last quarter.

Game Notes

Odom had 12 rebounds...Derek Fisher scored 11 and Bynum 10 for the Lakers...Jason Richardson and Goran Dragic had 13 and 12 points, respectively, for Phoenix...Bryant has recorded at least 30 points in 10 of his last 11 playoff games. He has 75 career 30-plus point playoff contests, tying Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and behind only Michael Jordan (109)...Boston won the first eight championship series against the Lakers and owns a 9-2 advantage in the Finals matchup. The two also played a pair of nail-biting contests this regular season with the Lakers coming away with a 90-89 edge at Boston on Bryant's game-winning shot. Bryant sat out the Celtics' 87-86 win at Staples Center on February 18...Sasha Vujacic was given a flagrant foul one for elbowing Dragic in the mouth just 42 seconds into the fourth quarter.

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Football Betting Lines

The 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds have been released and Denver Broncos' running back Knowshon Moreno has been made the opening favorite.

Bet NFL Sports Lines

Moreno was selected in the first round of April's NFL draft and is expected to carry the rushing load for the Broncos this season. And with Jay Cutler now in Chicago, Moreno might be expected to be Denver's entire offense.

Betting Lines from sports betting lines have made Moreno a 5/2 favorite to win this year's Offensive Rookie of the Year Award. Fellow running back Chris “Beanie” Wells (Arizona Cardinals) is right behind Moreno at 7/2, while Donald Brown (Indianapolis Colts) and receiver Michael Crabtree (San Francisco 49ers) are 5/1 to win. Quarterbacks Mark Sanchez (New York Jets) and Matthew Stafford (Detroit Lions) are 7/1 and 8/1, respectively.

A couple of players who present some value are Josh Freeman, Shonn Green and Darrius Heyward-Bey.

Freeman needs to beat out Byron Leftwich to become the starting quarterback of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers but if he does, he has a lot or raw talent and could use the weapons around him (i.e. Kellen Winslow Jr. and Antonio Bryant) to be very successful in his first season.

Green enters a crowded backfield in New York, but considering both Thomas Jones and Leon Washington are unhappy about their contract situations and might holdout, the former Iowa product could become the Jets' primary back.

Everyone was shocked when Al Davis took Heyward-Bey with the eighth overall pick in April's draft, but the kid has a tremendous amount of talent and if quarterback JaMarcus Russell takes the next step this year, the former Maryland product could blossom. Plus, Heyward-Bey will be looking to prove the people wrong who said Oakland should have taken Michael Crabtree with the No. 8 pick.

And if you're looking for a deep sleeper, check out Pat White at 30/1. He enters the Miami Dolphins vaunted “Wild Cat” offense and could be a big time playmaker.

For complete odds on the 2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year odds, see below.

2009 AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year Odds to Win

Ramses Barden (NYG) 40/1

Andre Brown (NYG) 20/1

Donald Brown (IND) 5/1

Kenny Britt (TEN) 20/1

Glenn Coffee (SFO) 30/1

Chase Coffman (CIN) 50/1

Michael Crabtree (SFO) 5/1

Josh Freeman (TB) 14/1

Shonn Green (NYJ) 14/1

Percy Harvin (MIN) 10/1

Darrius Heyward-Bay (OAK) 18/1

Juaquan Iglesias (CHI) 30/1

Cornelius Ingram (PHI) 50/1

Rashad Jennings (JAC) 30/1

Johnny Knox (CHI) 40/1

Jeremy Maclin (PHI) 18/1

Mohamed Massaquoi (CLE) 30/1

LeSean McCoy (PHI) 12/1

Knowshon Moreno (DEN) 5/2

Hakeem Nicks (NYG) 18/1

Brandon Pettigrew (DET) 30/1

Brian Robiskie (CLE) 20/1

Mark Sanchez (NYJ) 7/1

Matthew Stafford (DET) 8/1

Jason Smith (STL) 40/1

Mike Thomas (JAC) 25/1

Patrick Turner (MIA) 50/1

Mike Wallace (PIT) 50/1

Chris Wells (ARI) 7/2

Pat White (MIA) 30/1

Field (Any Other Player) 9/1

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