Betting Odds - Graffiti Wall

(Wednesday, November 26th)

Final Score: Atlanta 102, Milwaukee 96

Atlanta, GA - Al Horford scored 21 points, hauled in nine rebounds and had three blocks to lead the Atlanta Hawks in a 102-96 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks. Marvin Williams and Mike Bibby had 18 points apiece for the Hawks, who have won three of four overall. Ronald Murray added 16 points, while Joe Johnson ended with 15 points and nine assists in the win. Richard Jefferson had 25 points for the Bucks, who have dropped two straight and five of seven overall. Ramon Sessions chipped in 21 points, eight helpers and seven boards off the bench in defeat. Charlie Villanueva gave 19 points in a losing effort.

Final Score: Cleveland 117, Oklahoma City 82

Cleveland, OH - Zydrunas Ilgauskas scored 17 and four other players finished in double figures as the Cleveland Cavaliers used a balanced attack to remain unbeaten at home with a 117-82 drubbing of the lowly Oklahoma City Thunder at Quicken Loans Arena. Daniel Gibson had 15 points while J.J. Hickson and LeBron James each dropped 14 in a blowout for the Cavaliers, who are 8-0 as the host so far this season and have claimed victory in 11 of their last 12 games, including three straight. Chris Wilcox had 14 points off the bench for Oklahoma City, which has lost 13 in a row and is 1-15 on the season. Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook netted 13 points apiece while Westbrook also collected five steals and five assists for the Thunder, who shot 35.4 percent (29-of-82) from the floor en route to an embarrassing loss. Oklahoma City has now started the Scott Brooks era 0-3. Brooks was named interim head coach prior to Saturday’s loss to New Orleans after P.J. Carlesimo was fired earlier in the day following an abysmal 1-12 start to the Thunder’s inaugural season.

Final Score: Toronto 93, Charlotte 86

Toronto, ON - Chris Bosh scored 39 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, as the Toronto Raptors defeated the Charlotte Bobcats, 93-86, at Air Canada Centre. Bosh was 15-for-20 from the field and 9-for-10 from the free throw line for Toronto, which came into the game having lost two straight. Joey Graham had a season-high 17 points, while Andrea Bargnani had 11 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the victory. Gerald Wallace scored a team-high 23 points to go along with eight rebounds for the Bobcats, who have lost five of six. Jared Dudley tied a season-high with 13 points, while Emeka Okafor had 16 points and 14 rebounds in the loss. D.J. Augustin contributed 13 points for Charlotte.

Final Score: Boston 119, Golden State 111

Boston, MA - Ray Allen scored 25 points, leading the Boston Celtics to a 119-111 victory over the Golden State Warriors at TD Banknorth Garden. Rajon Rondo had 22 points, seven assists and eight rebounds, while Paul Pierce added 21 points — including 9-of-9 from the free throw line — for the Celtics, who have won six straight. Kevin Garnett added 21 points and 13 rebounds in the victory, and Kendrick Perkins had nine points and eight rebounds. Corey Maggette scored a game-high 32 points for the Warriors, who have lost four straight and are 0-3 on their five-game road trip. Stephen Jackson had 30 points and six assists, and newcomer Jamal Crawford added 18 points. Andris Biedrins had eight points and nine rebounds in the loss, while C.J. Watson contributed 10 points.

Final Score: Orlando 96, Philadelphia 94

Philadelphia, PA - Rashard Lewis’ three-pointer with 4.7 seconds to go gave the Orlando Magic a 96-94 win over the Philadelphia 76ers at the Wachovia Center. Lewis finished with 19 points, while Dwight Howard had 21 points and 14 rebounds for the Magic, winners in two straight and seven of their last eight. Tony Battie scored 20 points off the bench, going 9-for-9 from the floor. Elton Brand finished with 21 points and six boards for the Sixers, who have lost two in a row. Andre Iguodala had 17 points, seven assists and six rebounds for Philadelphia in the loss.

Final Score: Detroit 110, New York 96

Auburn Hills, MI - Rodney Stuckey was one of eight Pistons in double figures with 13 points while also doling out a career-high 11 assists to lead Detroit in a 110-96 rout of New York. Allen Iverson had 16 points and five helpers for the Pistons, who are still just 2-3 over their last five games. Richard Hamilton tacked on 17 points while Tayshaun Prince chipped in 15 points and five assists. Al Harrington poured in a game-high 25 points for the Knicks, who have dropped two straight and five of six overall. David Lee had 17 points and hauled in 15 boards, while Wilson Chandler had 15 points but was ejected in the third quarter for arguing a call and then punching the ball into the stands.

Final Score: Phoenix 110, Minnesota 102

Minneapolis, MN - Shaquille O’Neal posted 18 points and 10 rebounds as the Phoenix Suns held off the Minnesota Timberwolves, 110-102. All five starters for the Suns reached double figures as the club shot 53.6 percent from the field in their third straight win. Steve Nash finished with 20 points and six assists, while Amare Stoudemire and Raja Bell netted 16 and 15 points, respectively, in the win. Al Jefferson led all players with 28 points and 17 rebounds for the Timberwolves, who had won two of three coming into the game. Randy Foye and Ryan Gomes chipped in 17 and 16 points, respectively, in defeat.

Final Score: Indiana 91, Houston 90

Houston, TX - Danny Granger’s tip-in with 13.7 seconds left was the difference, as the Indiana Pacers defeated Houston, 91-90, to spoil Shane Battier’s season debut with the Rockets. Battier, who sat out the preseason and the first 15 regular season games after undergoing surgery to remove bone spurs in May, scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds in almost 30 minutes for the Rockets, who had a three-game winning streak snapped. Troy Murphy had a game-high 21 points and 14 rebounds — including 14 points in the fourth quarter — for the Pacers, who came into the game having lost four of their past five. Granger had 16 points in the win. Ron Artest scored 19 points, and Yao Ming had 19 points and 10 rebounds for Houston, which had won four of their previous five games. Luis Scola contributed 15 points and 18 rebounds, and Carl Landry had 15 points and 10 boards in the win for Houston, which was without Tracy McGrady, who sat out the game with left knee soreness.

Final Score: San Antonio 98, Chicago 88

San Antonio, TX - Tim Duncan scored 21 points and grabbed eight rebounds, as the San Antonio Spurs defeated the Chicago Bulls, 98-88, at AT&T Center. George Hill finished with 19 points and 11 boards off the bench for the Spurs, who have won three in a row and six of seven. Manu Ginobili, in his second game of the season after recovering from offseason left ankle surgery, came off the bench to contribute 15 points. Ben Gordon had 23 points to pace the Bulls, who fell to 2-4 on their current seven-game road trip. Drew Gooden added 20 points and 12 rebounds, while Derrick Rose and Luol Deng each scored 10. Rose also had six rebounds and six assists in the loss.

Final Score: Utah 117, Memphis 100

Salt Lake City, UT - Paul Millsap scored 24 points and hauled in a game-high 16 rebounds, and each Utah starter reached double figures, as the Jazz notched a 117-100 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies. Mehmet Okur ended with 21 points and 10 boards for the Jazz, who have alternated wins and losses for the last five games. Ronnie Brewer poured in 21 points and five assists, while Deron Williams — who played in his third game this season and first since November 12 because of an ankle sprain — had 11 points and 15 helpers. Rudy Gay had a game-high 27 points and seven rebounds for Memphis, which has lost four straight games and eight of its last nine overall. O.J. Mayo added 22 points and Marc Gasol gave 12 points and eight boards in defeat.

Final Score: Portland 106, Miami 68

Portland, OR - Channing Frye led six Portland players in double figures with 17 points, and the Trail Blazers blew out the Miami Heat, 106-68, at the Rose Garden. LaMarcus Aldridge added 16 points and seven rebounds for Portland, which has won four of five. Greg Oden added 10 points and 10 boards in the win. Michael Beasley scored 14 points to pace the Heat, who have lost two in a row and three of four. Dwyane Wade finished with 12 points, six rebounds and six assists. Miami shot just 34.5 percent from the floor, including a 2-of-19 effort from behind the arc. The Heat got to the free throw line 10 times, and made eight.

Final Score: New Jersey 116, Sacramento 114 (OT)

Sacramento, CA - Vince Carter scored 25 points but was carried off the court midway through overtime with a leg injury after chasing down a loose ball, and the New Jersey Nets outlasted the Sacramento Kings, 116-114. Brook Lopez added 20 points and eight rebounds for the Nets, who have won three of four. Devin Harris chipped in 18 points and seven assists and made the go-ahead basket in the extra session. John Salmons had 38 points and seven boards for the Kings, who have lost four in a row and seven of eight overall. Brad Miller gave 20 points, 13 rebounds and six assists for the Kings. Miller was fouled with 19.3 ticks left in OT and hit 1-of-2 at the line to give the Kings a 114-113 lead, before Harris nailed a turnaround baseline jumper to put New Jersey ahead. With 11.3 seconds left, the Kings inbounded the ball and Bobby Jackson’s three from the right corner was tipped and resulted in an airball. The Nets’ Jarvis Hayes grabbed the rebound and was fouled with 2.9 seconds showing, and made one shot at the line. Miller’s desperation three at the buzzer was off the mark.

Final Score: Denver 106, LA Clippers 105

Los Angeles, CA - Carmelo Anthony dropped a season-high 30 points and grabbed 11 boards as the Denver Nuggets escaped with a 106-105 victory over the struggling Los Angeles Clippers at Staples Center. Kenyon Martin also logged a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds while Nene netted 17 and snagged nine boards for Denver, which has won six of its last seven. Linas Kleiza chipped in 15 points and Anthony Carter 13 to go along with six assists in the victory. Rookie Eric Gordon, who made his first NBA start on Monday — pouring in a career-best 25 points in a loss to New Orleans — started for a second straight game and went for 24 to go along with five rebounds, four steals and as many assists. Baron Davis had 18 points and 10 assists for the Clippers, losers of four in a row and 13 of 15 to start the season, their worst start since the lockout-shortened 1998-99 campaign when the team started 0-17. Marcus Camby had 17 points and 11 rebounds while Al Thornton scored 14 in the loss. Zach Randolph and guard Mardy Collins, who were acquired from the New York Knicks last week for Tim Thomas and Cuttino Mobley, each made their Clippers debut in the loss. Randolph had seven points on 3-of-11 shooting with four boards in a little under 26 minutes while Collins went scoreless in limited action. Concerns over a Mobley heart condition delayed the completion of the trade and neither Randolph nor Collins was able to suit up in the last three games — all LA losses — since the deal was announced.

(Wednesday, November 26th)

Final Score: (1) North Carolina 102, (8) Notre Dame 87

Maui, HI - Tyler Hansbrough looked rather healthy hitting 13-of-19 from the floor on his way to 34 points, as North Carolina lived up to its top billing in the country with a convincing 102-87 victory over No. 8 Notre Dame in the championship round of the Maui Invitational. Ty Lawson orchestrated the Tar Heels (6-0) offense and finished with 22 points, 11 assists and six rebounds while earning Tournament MVP honors. Deon Thompson logged 19 points and 13 boards for Carolina, which has won all six of its games to open the season by at least 15 points. Kyle McAlarney single-handedly carried Notre Dame (4-1) while setting a school record with 10 three- pointers en route to a 39-point effort. Luke Harangody posted a mediocre 13- point, seven-rebound performance for the Fighting Irish, who earned a bid to the finals with an 81-80 victory over sixth-ranked Texas in the semis.

Final Score: (6) Texas 70, Oregon 57

Maui, HI - Damion James scored 21 points and grabbed 12 rebounds to lead the sixth-ranked Texas Longhorns to a 70-57 victory over the Oregon Ducks and a third-place finish in the Maui Invitational. James shot 9- of-11 from the field, and Gary Johnson added 12 points and eight rebounds for the Longhorns (4-1), who beat Saint Joseph’s to start the tournament before falling to Notre Dame, 81-80, in the semifinal round. Justin Mason recorded 18 points, five assists and five rebounds in the win, while A.J. Abrams had nine points. Tajuan Porter had 11 points and six rebounds for the Ducks (3-3), who beat Alabama in their first tournament game but followed with a loss to top-ranked North Carolina. Garrett Sim recorded 11 points and Joevan Catron tallied 13 points and eight rebounds in the loss.

Final Score: (10) Purdue 71, Boston College 64

New York, NY - E’Twaun Moore had 19 points and six assists as 10th-ranked Purdue knocked off Boston College, 71-64, in semifinal round action of the NIT Season Tip-Off at Madison Square Garden. Purdue moves on to Friday’s final against the 11th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners, who dispatched of the UAB Blazers in a 77-67 final later Wednesday. JaJuan Johnson scored 12 points and grabbed six rebounds for Purdue (5-0), which hosted and won the North Regional of this event — and had little trouble advancing with triumphs over Eastern Michigan (87-58) and Loyola- Chicago (78-46) last week. Tyrese Rice led the way with 17 points while Joe Trapani had 14 and eight boards for the Eagles (3-2), who hosted and won the East Regional. Josh Southern pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds and netted nine points with Corey Raji also contributing nine in the loss.

Final Score: (11) Oklahoma 77, UAB 67

New York, NY - Blake Griffin poured in 32 points and pulled down 15 rebounds as the 11th-ranked Oklahoma Sooners survived a spirited effort from the UAB Blazers with a 77-67 win in semifinal action of the NIT Season Tip-Off from Madison Square Garden. Oklahoma advances to the championship on Friday to face the 10th-ranked Purdue Boilermakers, who posted a 71-64 final against Boston College earlier Wednesday. Sharpshooters Cade Davis and Tony Crocker each hit four three-pointers to log 12 points apiece for the Sooners (5-0), who hosted the South Regional of this tournament, where they opened with wins over Mississippi Valley State (94-53) and nationally-ranked Davidson (82-78). Paul Delaney III dropped 23 points on 10-of-14 shooting and grabbed six boards to pace the Blazers (4-1), who came into this contest undefeated despite having yet to play a single home game.

(Wednesday, November 26th)

Final Score: Buffalo 3, Boston 2

Buffalo, NY - Derek Roy scored twice and Ryan Miller made 27 saves, leading the Buffalo Sabres to a 3-2 win over the surging Boston Bruins at HSBC Arena. Jochen Hecht added a short-handed tally for the Sabres, who snapped a season-high five-game losing streak. Buffalo has fizzled after a 6-0-1 start to the 2008-09 campaign, going 4-8-2 in their last 14. Phil Kessel and Matt Hunwick scored for Boston, which had earned at least a point in 10 straight games (9-0-1). Tim Thomas, who entered Wednesday leading the league in goals-against average (1.80) and save percentage (.944), stopped 20-of-23 shots in defeat. The Flint, Michigan native had allowed two goals or fewer in his previous seven starts.

Final Score: Pittsburgh 5, NY Islanders 3

Uniondale, NY - Evgeni Malkin scored a pair of goals in a span of 50 seconds to turn a Pittsburgh deficit into a lead, as the Penguins tallied four times in the third period to rally for a 5-3 victory over the New York Islanders at Nassau Coliseum. Malkin added an empty-netter to complete the natural hat trick and also assisted on Sidney Crosby’s goal to start the third-period barrage. Crosby added assists on Malkin’s first two goals for the Penguins, who bounced back from a 3-1 loss to Vancouver on Saturday to improve to 8-1-1 in their last 10 games. Brooks Orpik picked up a goal and an assist for Pittsburgh, which trailed 3-0. Penguins goaltender John Curry earned the win in his NHL debut, stopping all 11 shots he faced after taking over for Dany Sabourin midway through the second period. Sabourin, who entered the game with a 1.66 goals-against average and a .935 save percentage, was yanked after surrendering three goals on 14 shots. Trent Hunter scored a goal and assisted on another for the Islanders, who had a two-game win streak snapped and lost for only the second time in their last seven games. Doug Weight and Bill Guerin also scored, while Joey MacDonald made 25 saves in defeat.

Final Score: Washington 5, Atlanta 3

Washington, DC - Alexander Ovechkin recorded his sixth career hat trick and added an assist, as the Washington Capitals topped the Atlanta Thrashers, 5-3, in a Southeast Division battle at the Verizon Center. Viktor Kozlov scored a goal and chipped in two assists, while Eric Fehr also scored for Washington, which snapped a three-game slide and improved to 8-0-1 at home this season. Jose Theodore needed just 15 saves to pick up the win. Bryan Little and Slava Kozlov each had a power-play goal for Atlanta, which has dropped four of five. Ondrej Pavelec allowed all five goals on 33 shots in defeat.

Final Score: Philadelphia 3, Carolina 1

Raleigh, NC - Simon Gagne picked up three points on two goals and an assist to lead Philadelphia over Carolina, 3-1, in the front end of a home-and-home series at RBC Center. Matt Carle scored the other goal for the Flyers, who upped their season-best win streak to six games. Antero Niittymaki stopped 27 shots for his third win of the season and second in as many starts. Chad LaRose provided the lone tally for the Hurricanes, who have dropped three in a row. Cam Ward took the loss despite allowing just two goals on 26 shots.

Final Score: Phoenix 3, Columbus 2

Columbus, OH - Viktor Tikhonov’s goal with 2:32 left in the game lifted Phoenix to a 3-2 win over the Columbus Blue Jackets, and ended the Coyotes’ six-game losing streak. Daniel Carcillo and David Hale also lit the lamp for Phoenix, whose last win came on November 12 and was also against Columbus. Mikael Tellqvist stopped 38 shots in the win, as the Coyotes completed their four-game road trip with a 1-2-1 mark. Phoenix center Olli Jokinen, the club’s second-leading scorer, left the contest in the first period with an unspecific injury and did not return. Kristian Huselius and Jason Chimera each scored for Columbus, which has lost three of four. Steve Mason gave up three goals on 25 shots in the loss.

Final Score: NY Rangers 3, Tampa Bay 2 (SO)

Tampa, FL - Markus Naslund scored the game-winner in the shootout as the New York Rangers clipped Tampa Bay, 3-2, at St. Pete Times Forum. On the Rangers’ first chance, Naslund beat Bolts netminder Mike Smith with a backhander through the five-hole. Henrik Lundqvist stopped Tampa Bay’s Jussi Jokinen and Nikolai Zherdev clinched the win with a wrister through the pads. Naslund tallied twice in regulation for the Rangers, who have won two in a row and five of seven. Lundqvist made 27 stops for the victory. Ryan Malone and Mark Recchi lit the lamp for the Lightning, who have lost two straight and seven of eight. Smith was solid in defeat, making 33 saves.

Final Score: New Jersey 3, Florida 2 (OT)

Sunrise, FL - Johnny Oduya scored his first goal of the season with 56 seconds to play in overtime, lifting the New Jersey Devils to a 3-2 victory over the Florida Panthers at BankAtlantic Center. Oduya also picked up an assist for the Devils, who blew a 2-0 lead in the final 2:19 of regulation but still earned their season-high fifth straight win. Brian Gionta and Travis Zajac also scored for New Jersey, while Scott Clemmensen made 36 saves. Jay Bouwmeester and David Booth each notched a goal and an assist for Florida, which has lost three of its last four games. Stephen Weiss assisted on both Panther goals.

Final Score: Montreal 3, Detroit 1

Detroit, MI - Tomas Plekanec’s first goal in nine games proved to be the game-winner, as the Montreal Canadiens defeated the Detroit Red Wings, 3-1, at Joe Louis Arena. Maxim Lapierre and Christopher Higgins also scored for the Canadiens, who snapped a two-game slide. Carey Price stopped 32 shots to pick up the win. Johan Franzen had the lone goal for Detroit, which was handed just its third regulation loss of the season (14-3-4). Ty Conklin gave up three goals on 25 shots in defeat.

Final Score: Dallas 4, Minnesota 3

St. Paul, MN - Loui Eriksson’s third-period score was the winner, as Dallas rallied from two goals down to edge Minnesota, 4-3, at Xcel Energy Center. James Neal collected his first career two-goal game, and Brad Richards added a goal and an assist for the Stars, who stopped a three-game slide. Marty Turco made 25 stops for his sixth win of the season. Eric Belanger, Owen Nolan and Andrew Brunette tallied for the Wild, who have dropped three of their last four. Niklas Backstrom allowed four goals on 30 shots in the loss.

Final Score: Colorado 3, St. Louis 1

Denver, CO - Ian Laperriere and Daniel Tjarnqvist both registered a goal and an assist, leading the Colorado Avalanche to a 3-1 victory over the St. Louis Blues at the Pepsi Center. Ryan Smyth added a power-play marker and Peter Budaj stopped 21 shots for the Avalanche, who have won two of their last three games. Keith Tkachuk lit the lamp and Manny Legace gave up three goals on 28 shots for the Blues, who saw their three-game winning streak come to an end.

Final Score: Los Angeles 2, Edmonton 1

Edmonton, AB - Anze Kopitar and Patrick O’Sullivan both posted a goal and an assist, lifting the Los Angeles Kings to a 2-1 win over the Edmonton Oilers at Rexall Place. Jason LaBarbera stopped 22 shots, including all seven he faced in the third period, for the Kings, who won for just the second time in their last six games. Ales Hemsky found the back of the net and Dwayne Roloson made 27 saves for Edmonton, which lost for the fifth time in six games.

Final Score: San Jose 3, Chicago 2 (OT)

San Jose, CA - Joe Thornton scored the game-winner 45 seconds into overtime as the San Jose Sharks extended their winning streak over Chicago to 13 straight games with a 3-2 decision. Rob Blake and Patrick Marleau each scored in regulation for San Jose, which extended its overall win streak to five and moved to 12-0-1 at home this season. Evgeni Nabokov, who returned from a seven-game absence due to a lower-body injury, made 24 saves to get the win. Jonathan Toews registered both of Chicago’s goals, while Cristobal Huet allowed two goals on 15 shots in replacing Nikolai Khabibulin, who saved 24-of-25 shots before exiting with an undisclosed injury. The loss snapped the Blackhawks’ three-game win streak.