T'Wolves pick up win in Phoenix

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01/16/2009 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Al Jefferson scored 22 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to help the Minnesota Timberwolves upend the Suns, 105-103, and win in Phoenix for the first time since February 6, 2006.

Craig Smith added 18 and seven for the T'Wolves, who have won six of their last seven games. Kevin Love tallied 13 points and 14 boards in the win, while Randy Foye scored 15. Rodney Carney chipped in 17 points.

Shaquille O'Neal ended with 22 points and 11 rebounds for the Suns, who have dropped two in a row. Leandro Barbosa also dropped 22 points and Amare Stoudemire had 19 in defeat.

Down by a point with 2:22 left to play, O'Neal sunk a pair of free throws for a 101-100 Phoenix lead.

Foye answered with a bucket as the shot-clock expired, Love was fouled by Stoudemire and hit 1-of-2 at the line, and Carney had a fast break layup to give Minnesota a 105-101 advantage with 1:11 remaining.

Following an O'Neal free throw, Foye missed a three and Stoudemire was fouled with 31.4 ticks left. He hit 1-of-2 to make it 105-103.

The T'Wolves killed the clock and Sebastian Telfair took a long three-pointer as the clock was close to expiring. His bid caromed off the rim and Steve Nash eventually called timeout with 1.7 seconds showing.

After the stoppage, Jason Richardson launched a three from the right wing for the win. However, it did not fall and Minnesota escaped with the win.

The T'Wolves were on top 27-23 after the first quarter, but the Suns battled back to assume a 53-49 lead at the intermission.

Two Stoudemire baskets sparked a 14-4 Phoenix run with 7 1/2 minutes left in the third. Stoudemire had eight points on the run and Grant Hill accounted for the other six, giving the Suns a 73-62 lead.

Phoenix was up 79-73 heading into the final frame.

Mike Miller had two baskets and Smith a layup to tie the game at 79 with 10 1/2 minutes left in the game.

The teams traded baskets and a Telfair three-pointer put the visitors on top, 87-84. Then, following a Barbosa missed three, Carney added a fast break dunk for a five-point Minnesota lead.

The Suns responded with seven straight points, capped by O'Neal's turnaround bank shot, to assume a 91-89 with just under six minutes left.

Moments later, two free throws from Love made it 98-95.

Still down by three, Nash's fadeaway shot cut it to 100-99 with 2:51 showing on the clock.

Game Notes

Minnesota shot 43.3 percent from the field and Phoenix hit 50 percent of its shots. However, the Suns were just 2-for-14 from behind the arc. The T'Wolves hit 7-of-23 from downtown...The Suns fell to 12-8 at home...Minnesota owns a 6-13 record away from the Target Center this season...Phoenix defeated the Timberwolves, 110-102, at the Target Center on November 26 this season and had won two in a row and 11 of the last 15 matchups. The Suns were undefeated in the past five games as the host in this series.

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FOOTBALL BETTING

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After all the trouble that’s ensued since Braylon Edwards allegedly punched one of LeBron James’ homeboys in the face at a club, the Cleveland Browns have sent away their last remaining player of worth to the New York Jets. This is a great move for Dirty Sanchez and all, but it’s even better for the Knicks. Now Donnie Walsh can say, “You get to haunt Braylon Edwards with your posse if you sign here!” next summer.

Putting that aside for a moment, the move is a clear indication that the new-look Jets are gunning for the Super Bowl this year. I don’t think that New York thought that Dirty Sanchez was going to be such a rock star. With a 75.2 passer rating that was killed against the Jets, Sanchez is doing an admirable job of managing games and putting the Jets in a position to win. The defense has been the major story in New York thus far, but the acquisition of Braylon Edwards makes this offense loaded with talent that can dent any defense…as long as Dirty Sanchez continues his meteoric rise.

Thus far, Edwards has been a non-factor in the NFL piling up just 139 receiving yards on 10 catches. He has yet to find the endzone, and with the Browns mired in the most unsexy quarterback controversy of all time (Anderson vs. Quinn...yawn), there going nowhere fast. Edwards is two seasons removed from a career year which saw him catch 80 passes for 1,289 yards and 16 touchdowns when the Browns were the spread killing monsters of 2007. In 2008, injuries slowed the receiver down to just 873 yards and three touchdowns though he played in all 16 games.

So that being said, we really don’t know if Braylon Edwards is just a flash in the pan, or a legit threat. At 6-foot-3 and 215 pounds, he is a prototypical receiver. But he’s also shown a strange, and unwarranted, talent for dropping passes. Lining up opposite Jericho Cotchery, a speed demon with 23 catches, 356 yards and a single touchdown, may give Braylon the open looks he needs. A change of scenery may also rejuvenate the star receiver.

In return, the Browns will receive Chansi Stuckey, online football betting a special teams player you’ve never heard of and a pair of draft picks. That’s a tall order for a guy whose only real value right now is in his name, and it shows no promise to the Browns that they can rebuild around those acquisitions. Braylon was the only reason to hope for the Browns to go 3-14 SU this year. Without him, they don’t have a single guy on offense that can scare any team.

For the Jets, it’s a response to the pounding that they took at the hand of the Saints. Thomas Jones and Leon Washington have averaged around 4.0 yards per carry each on the ground, but striking a fair balance between the passing and rushing attacks in New York has been a struggle. You have to believe that the trio of Dustin Keller, Jericho Cotchery and Braylon Edwards will give Sanchez the weapons he needs to unleash through the air. Theoretically, that would open up holes for the rushing game. But the proposed public option health care plan works in theory too. We need to see the proof in the pudding before we start loading up mega bucks on the New York Jets to take the AFC.

The one wrinkle in this whole thing is that Braylon could very well be suspended by the league for disciplinary action due to his “brawl” with LeBron’s friend. If that’s the case, the Jets may have to bench him for a few games leaving them with a somewhat depleted receiving corps for a few games. Also, this is a guy who gets in fights with people at clubs. New York may not be the best place for him. Just sayin’.

The Jets have a long week before they meet the Miami Dolphins on Monday Night Football Betting in a virtual pick ‘em game. Braylon’s excess baggage may be a distraction, and his curiously low production may be what we should be expecting of him overall, but for the Jets, taking a chance to strike gold is well worth it. At the end of the year, they can simply just blame it on their rookie quarterback.

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