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**Spark** · 12-09-2004, 10:50 AM

Thursday's games
Game of the Day:
SuperSonics @ Mavericks-- Seattle had terrific win in Alamo last night; they're 16-2 in last 18 games and are 7-2 vs spread in last nine road games- their last five games overall went over total. Dallas is 5-2 their last 7 games, but just 2-7 vs spread in their last nine at home. Sonics lost their two games here last year by 11,10 pts average total in four series games last year was 220.3.

Elsewhere, Spurs were 4-0 vs Houston last year, with wins at this site by 4,3 points; average total in the four games was 156.8. Spurs had nine-game win streak end last night; they're 5-1 vs spread if they played had game the night before. Rockets failed to cover last six games.

Celtics beat Portland at home, 90-88 on 11/10, in game they led by 14 at half; they won three of last four visits to this site, as home team lost eight of last eleven series tilts. Blazers are 2-7 if they allow 90+ points, a figure Celtics hit in last ten games.

**Spark** · 12-09-2004, 10:51 AM

-- Top-ranked Illinois 7-0, with 72-60 win in only road game so far, at Arkansas, their closest game of season. Georgetown 3-1, with only loss by 18 to Temple in its opener; they have wins over Davidson, Penn State, but this is major step up in class for Coaxh Thompson.

-- Vanderbilt has four starters back from 23-10 team, but lone graduate is now in NBA, and Commodores are 0-3 on road, with all three losses by 10+ points. Cincinnati is 4-0, uneven on offense, but three of the wins are by ten or more points.

-- SE Missouri lost 61-50 at Montana last year, in first round of holiday tournament; Indians are 2-0 at home, 0-3 on road, but wins were vs non-D-I teams. Griz is 2-3, with losses to Gonzaga by 16, Western Kentucky by 26, Santa Clara by a hoop.

-- UConn beat UMass six years in row, last five of which were all by 10+ points. Minutemen lost last two games by 16 and 11, to Northeastern and Gonzaga, with NE'ern loss a disaster. UConn just back from trip to England; they struggled vs Indiana Saturday.

-- Kansas went to TCU last year and won, 85-66; fifth straight home game for Jayhawks, who struggled with Vermont (68-61) and Pacific (81-70), but killed both St Joe's (91-51) and Nevada (83-52). TCU won its only road game by 10 at North Texas.

-- Siena is 0-6 and desperate for win; they lost four in row vs Manhattan, losing last year's games, by 17,22 points. Jaspers lost last two games, including MAAC opener to Fairfield (double OT). Siena has trouble on offense, scoring just 65.2 ppg.

**Spark** · 12-09-2004, 11:12 AM

Not Sure If You Would Want This ....

Thursday, December 9th (All times eastern)

SAN ANTONIO SPURS (16-4) AT HOUSTON ROCKETS (8-11), 8 P.M. ----------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - A pair of Lonestar State rivals meet for the first time this season tonight, when the disappointing Houston Rockets host the San Antonio Spurs at the Toyota Center.

Despite owning just an 8-11 record, the Rockets have won their last two games on the heels of a five-game losing streak. The Rockets registered an 89-81 win over the lowly New Orleans Hornets on Tuesday night at the Toyota Center.

Yao Ming compiled 21 points and nine rebounds, while Tracy McGrady scored eight of his 18 points in the fourth quarter of the win. Andre Barrett added 14 points on 5-of-7 shooting and made several key baskets in the second-half after the Rockets nearly coughed up a 13-point lead at the break.

Juwan Howard added 10 points, as the Rockets shot 45 percent in the winning effort. Houston hit 22 percent (4-of-18) from the three-point line and 21- of-29 (.724) from the charity stripe.

Rockets forward Jim Jackson sat out the game with back spasms. Jackson, who has missed the last two games, is questionable for tonight's contest.

Houston, which is in the midst of a six-game homestand, owns a 4-5 mark at the Toyota Center this year.

San Antonio had a pair of streaks stopped on Wednesday night, as it fell 102-96 to Seattle at the SBC Center. The Spurs had an eight-game winning streak stopped and lost for the first time in 22 regular season home contests.

Tim Duncan poured in 39 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and blocked four shots in the losing effort. Manu Ginobli registered 18 points, Tony Parker added 16 and Malik Rose chipped in 10 off the bench.

The Spurs hit 41.3 percent from the field, 31.3 percent (5-of-16) from three- point range and 76 percent (25-of-33) from the free throw line in the losing effort.

San Antonio, which is 2-1 within the Southwest Division, owns a 8-3 on the road this season.

San Antonio swept all four meetings between these teams last season and has won seven straight overall. The Spurs have won 22 of the last 24 in this series, including five of six at Houston.

SEATTLE SUPERSONICS (16-3) AT DALLAS MAVERICKS (13-7), 8:30 P.M. ----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Dallas Mavericks try to win their second straight game tonight, as they welcome All-Star Ray Allen and the surprising Seattle SuperSonics to American Airlines Center.

On Tuesday, the Mavericks registered a 97-87 victory over the Minnesota Timberwolves at the Target Center on Tuesday night. All-Star Dirk Nowitzki poured in a game-high 34 points and grabbed seven rebounds to pace the Mavericks to the win. The Mavericks improved to 9-0 this season when Nowitzki scores 30 or more points.

Josh Howard added 13 points and 12 boards in Tuesday's win, while Jerry Stackhouse scored 12 for the Mavericks, who have won three of their last four games. Alan Henderson posted 11 points and a game-best 15 rebounds and center Erick Dampier had 11 points and 11 boards in the victory.

Dallas is 7-4 as the host this season.

The Sonics enter tonight's contest on a three-game winning streak. On Wednesday, Allen netted 29 points to lead Seattle over San Antonio, 102-96, at the SBC Center. Rashard Lewis added 16 points and five rebounds for the SuperSonics, who have won seven of their last eight overall.

Allen has scored in double-digits in all 19 of Seattle's games this season. He is averaging a team-high 24.3 points to go along with 4.1 rebounds and 4.3 assists per contest.

The SuperSonics are off to their best start since 1993-94. Seattle was 17-2 after 19 games and was an incredible 26-3 after 29 games that season.

Seattle is 7-3 on the road this season.

Last season, Dallas won three of its four meetings with the Sonics. Overall, the Mavericks have won eight of the last 11 contests in this series. Seattle has lost five straight and six of its last seven at Dallas.

BOSTON CELTICS (7-10) AT PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS (8-8), 10:30 P.M. -----------------------------------------------------------------

(Sports Network) - The Boston Celtics play the third of a five-game road trip tonight, as they visit the Portland Trail Blazers at the Rose Garden.

This is the second and final meeting of the season between the two squads. On November 10th, the Celtics knocked off the Blazers, 90-88, at the FleetCenter. Overall, the road team has won seven of the last nine meetings in this series. Boston has lost eight of its last 11 at Portland.

The Celtics, who lost to the Sacramento Kings on Sunday in the opener of the road swing, dropped a 110-106 decision to the Golden State Warriors on Monday at The Arena. Paul Pierce poured in 26 points for the Celtics, who have dropped two in a row following a three-game win streak. Jiri Welsch finished with a personal-best 24 points in defeat.

Boston will also visit the Seattle SuperSonics and the Los Angeles Clippers on the road trip.

Pierce has scored in double-digits in all 17 of Boston's games. He leads the Celtics in scoring (22.4 ppg) and is second in rebounding (7.0 rpg) and assists (4.4 apg).

The Celtics are 2-6 on the road this season.

The Trail Blazers were crushed by the Phoenix Suns, 121-99, on Sunday at the Rose Garden. Zach Randolph posted 24 points and 11 boards for the Trail Blazers, who have dropped back-to-back games on the heels of a two-game win streak. Shareef Abdur-Rahim had 15 points and 11 rebounds.

The Suns trailed by one after the opening 12 minutes, but outscored the Trail Blazers 33-20 in the second and they led the rest of the way. Portland held a 45-42 edge midway through the second frame, but the Suns ended the first half on a 20-5 sprint to take a 62-50 margin into the intermission.

The Blazers could not get within single digits the entire second half. They cut the deficit to 64-54 on a bucket by Damon Stoudamire, but Phoenix responded with a 27-14 run and never looked back. Shawn Marion capped off the burst on a basket with just under 3:00 left in the quarter to push his team's advantage to 91-68. Portland limited the Suns to 22 points in the fourth, but never got back into the game.

Randolph has scored in double-digits in all 16 of Portland's games this season. He has registered nine double-doubles and leads the team in scoring (21.3 ppg) and rebounding (11.0 rpg).

Portland is 3-5 on the road this season.

12/09 11:08:34 ET

**GR8Life** · 12-09-2004, 12:03 PM

Houston swingman Jim Jackson hopes to return to the lineup Thursday against San Antonio. That's good news for coach Jeff Van Gundy who can use all the help he can get, both on the court and off.

Van Gundy is looking to survive a Texas windstorm, with most of the hot air coming from talk show callers criticizing his team's effort and his coaching prowess.

The addition of Tracy McGrady and Juwan Howard was supposed to push the Rockets to the next level after they won 45 games last season. Instead, Houston dug itself a hole by losing 11 of its first 17. Two straight narrow home wins over bottom-feeders Philadelphia and New Orleans haven't exactly signaled a turnaround.

Houston gets a chance to make a statement Thursday when San Antonio comes to the Toyota Center. The Spurs have won seven straight and 11 of their last 12 versus the Rockets, getting the cheddar in six straight and five of the last six on the highway.

Van Gundy's bunch put up a tough fight against San Antonio at home last season, coming up short 71-67, as a 1 1/2-point favorite, and 85-82 as a 1 1/2-point underdog.

Houston has yet to cash at home, bumbling in eight straight as favorites and once as underdogs. The Spurs have prospered away from home, cashing eight of 11 as favorites, including their last four.

Points have been at a premium in the Texas rivalry with the combatants dipping 'under' in nine of 12 overall, and in four of six in Houston.

Trends and angles for the other two games on Thursday's card appear below.

SONICS at MAVERICKS

Seattle is coming off a showdown Wednesday at San Antonio. Dallas had the night off after handing Minnesota its first loss in six games, 97-87. The Mavericks have won eight of their last 11 against the Sonics, and five straight at American Airlines Center. They have cashed four of the last five series tests at home, prevailing last season by 11 and 10 points, respectively. Nine of the last 12 series skirmishes have skipped 'over', including five of six at Dallas. The Mavericks have trickled 'under' at a 7-2-1 clip.

CELTICS at BLAZERS

Portland has won five straight versus Eastern Conference competition after dropping its first three. The Blazers have been idle since losing Sunday at home to Phoenix, 121-99, their second straight setback. Boston fell short for the sixth time in its last seven games on the road Monday at Golden State. The Celtics nipped the Blazers at the Fleet Center, 90-88, on Nov. 10, failing to get the money for the fifth time in six meetings. Boston has won two of three at the Rose Garden, tumbling in last season's visit, 105-84. Portland has zipped 'over' in six of its last seven at home. The Celtics have followed suit in eight of their last nine overall and in seven straight on the road.
__________________

**Spark** · 12-09-2004, 12:12 PM

Thursday, December 9th

**Illinois at Georgetown, 7:30 ET
Illinois - 2-11 ATS away off 3+ wins by 10+ points
Georgetown - 33-15 ATS vs. non-conference opponents

Vanderbilt at Cincinnati, 8:00 ET
Vanderbilt - 1-5 ATS as a road underdog of 6.5 to 12 points
Cincinnati - 7-1 ATS at home off 4+ wins

Connecticut at Massachusetts, 9:00 ET
Connecticut - 2-11 ATS as a road favorite
Massachusetts - 7-2 ATS in December

TCU at Kansas, 9:00 ET
TCU - 5-1 ATS away after playing as a favorite
Kansas - 0-6 ATS at home off BB home wins

Added Games:

Siena at Manhattan, 7:00 ET
Siena - 5-1 ATS as a road underdog of 12.5+ points
Manhattan - 0-6 ATS off BB games allowing 75+ points

Montana at SE Missouri State, 8:30 ET
Montana - 3-1 ATS as an underdog
SE Missouri State - 1-6 ATS at home off a win

**GR8Life** · 12-09-2004, 12:53 PM

Spurs Visit Rockets In Division Tilt
Houston will aim to extend its run of 2 straight home wins at the expense of the visiting Spurs Thursday.

Houston brings a 8-11 overall mark (2-4 in the division) into this game vs. a San Antonio team carrying a 16-4 Record.

The Spurs are road favorites, opening as 5-point chalk, with an opening total of 171. They are 16-4 this season and 5-9 OU. The Rockets are 8-11 and are 8-11-0 OU.

The Spurs come off a 102-96 loss against the SuperSonics, a game where they were 10 point favorites. The game went over the closing total of 186.

The Rockets come off a 89-81 win against the Hornets, a game where they were a 10 point favorite. The game went over the closing total of 166.

You can't expect much in the way of offensive fireworks from Houston. Saddled with the 28th-ranked offence and averaging just 87.4 points per game the Rockets' offence needs to give its defensive unit some help Thursday in order to have a chance against the Spurs.

Some trends to consider:
Spurs are 1-5-2 OU in their last 8 away
Spurs are 1-3-1 OU in their last 5 games
Spurs are 1-4-0 OU in their last 5 games against the Rockets
Spurs are 2-4-0 OU in their last 6 games away against Rockets
Rockets are 2-4-0 OU in their last 6 at home
Rockets are 2-4-0 OU in their last 6 games
Rockets are 2-4-0 OU in their last 6 games at home against Spurs
Rockets are 1-4-0 SU in their last 5 games after being 7.5 to 10 point favorites

Next up:
San Antonio home to Cleveland, Saturday, December 11
Houston home to Dallas, Saturday, December 11

**GR8Life** · 12-09-2004, 12:54 PM

SuperSonics Hope to Run Mavericks Out of the Gym
The Mavericks can build on their recent win against the Timberwolves Thursday when they host the SuperSonics at American Airlines Center.

Dallas brings a 13-7 overall mark (5-4 in the division) into this game vs. a Seattle team carrying a 16-3 Record.

The Mavericks are favored, opening as 6-point chalk, with an opening total of 197.5. They are 13-7 this season and 8-12-0 OU. The SuperSonics are 16-3 and are 11-4 OU.

Nate McMillan's team hopes to build upon a 102-96 win over Spurs. They were 10 point underdogs in a game that went over the total

Meanwhile, at Target Center, the underdog Mavericks were winning against the Timberwolves 97-87. The game was an under play.

Some trends to consider:
SuperSonics are 2-4-0 SU in their last 6 games after being 7.5 to 10 point underdogs
SuperSonics are 13-5-0 ATS in their last 18 games after being 7.5 to 10 point underdogs
SuperSonics are 6-2-0 SU in their last 8 games after scoring 101 to 110 points
SuperSonics are 14-4-0 ATS in their last 18 games
Mavericks are 5-0-0 ATS in their last 5 games after being 3.5 to 7 point underdogs
Mavericks are 12-1-0 OU in their last 13 games at home against SuperSonics
Mavericks are 5-1-0 SU in their last 6 games after being 3.5 to 7 point underdogs
Mavericks are 14-2-1 OU in their last 17 games against the SuperSonics

Next up:
Seattle home to Boston, Saturday, December 11
Dallas at Houston, Saturday, December 11

**GR8Life** · 12-09-2004, 12:55 PM

Tip Off in Celtics/Trail Blazers Game
The Celtics will be fighting to end a 2-game losing skid when they visit the Portland Trail Blazers Thursday at Rose Garden.

Sporting a 7-10 overall record and a 3-4 mark within the division, the Celtics aim to knock the Trail Blazers (3-2 In the division) for a loss.

Oddsmakers like the Trail Blazers in this one, opening the line at 5.5 in favor of Portland. They are 8-8 this season, while the Celtics are 7-10.

The Celtics come off a 110-106 loss against the Warriors, a game where they were 1 point underdogs. The game went over the closing total of 195.5.

The Trail Blazers, meanwhile, will try to forget a 121-99 loss at the hands of the Suns, a game where they were pick by 6. The total score went over the total.

Some trends to consider:
Celtics are 1-7-0 ATS in their last 8 games after being .5 to 3 point underdogs
Celtics are 1-6-0 ATS in their last 7 games after scoring 101 to 110 points
Celtics are 1-5-0 ATS in their last 6 games against the Trail Blazers
Celtics are 1-4-0 ATS in their last 5 games
Trail Blazers are 5-1-0 ATS in their last 6 games against the Celtics
Trail Blazers are 4-1-0 OU in their last 5 at home
Trail Blazers are 6-2-0 OU in their last 8 games at home against Celtics
Trail Blazers are 7-3-0 SU in their last 10 games after being 3.5 to 7 point underdogs

Next up:
Boston at Seattle, Saturday, December 11
Portland at Utah, Friday, December 10

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