Kobe helps Lakers down Nuggets in Bynum's return

Basketball Betting Lines

04/10/2009 - Los Angeles, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Kobe Bryant's 33-point performance was only part of the story Thursday night, as Andrew Bynum came back from a 31-game absence to score 16 points and grab seven rebounds in just over 21 minutes, as the Lakers rolled past Denver, 116-102, at Staples Center.

It was January 31st when Bynum had to be helped off the court early in a win vs. Memphis. The team originally diagnosed the injury as a sprain, however, an MRI exam later revealed the tear and derailed what was shaping up to be the 21-year-old's breakout season in his fourth in LA.

Pau Gasol added 27 points and a career-high 19 rebounds for the Lakers, who moved within a half-game of idle Cleveland for the best record in the NBA and homecourt advantage throughout the playoffs.

Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 23 points, while Nene notched 17 points and 10 rebounds. Chauncey Billups donated 17 points, while J.R. Smith poured in 19 points off the bench. Denver failed to clinch the Northwest Division on Thursday, but still holds a two-game edge on Portland.

The Nuggets saw their eight-game winning streak come to an end, while the Lakers streaked to their fifth victory in a row.

The Lakers opened up an eight-point advantage in the first stanza. After a pair of Smith free throws, the Lakers ran off eight straight points, capped by two Luke Walton free throws, for a 32-21 advantage.

Los Angeles led 33-25 after the first quarter, but saw an eight-point lead disappear over the final three minutes of the half. Smith's mid-range jumper following an Anthony layup cut the deficit to 54-51, and the veteran forward stepped out to beat the halftime buzzer with a trey for a 56-56 dead heat.

The teams continued to jockey back and forth with Anthony's three-point play drawing the Nuggets within 70-69 with about six minutes left in the third. But the Lakers scored the next 12 points to take control. Gasol's slam made the margin 78-69 and Bryant's two free throws with 3 1/2 minutes left opened the 82-69 advantage.

The Lakers held an 88-81 edge entering the fourth quarter and maintained control from there. Back-to-back buckets from Bryant made the score 105-91, and Denver never put a large dent in the deficit the rest of the way.

Game Notes

The Lakers improved to 34-5 at Staples Center and have won 22 of their last 24 home games versus Denver...The Nuggets fell to 21-19 on the road...The Lakers made just 42.5 percent of their shots, but grabbed 18 offensive rebounds and shot a staggering 46 free throws, making 37...Denver made 44.4 percent of its shots, but just 5-of-21 from beyond the arc...Gasol also set a career high with 11 offensive rebounds.

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MySportsbook.com: NBA Championship Odds

With the playoffs about two months away, the top two teams in the Western Conference are the clear cut leaders to win the NBA Championship. The Dallas Mavericks have the best record in the NBA (44-9) and have been absolutely scorching since the second week of the season.  What makes the Mavs’ record more impressive is the fact that they dropped their first four games of the season.  Currently they have won 17 out of their last 18 and are MySportsbook.com’s favorite (2-1) to win it all.  Right behind the Mavs are the Pacific leading Phoenix Suns (39-13).  Last season, the Suns lost in the Conference Finals to non-other then the Mavericks four games to two.  Of course the Suns were without center Amare Stoudemire who has is averaging 19.9 PPG and 9.5 RPG since coming back from his knee injury.  Unlike the Mavs, the Suns have struggled a bit lately having lost their last three and four out of their last seven.  Of course the main reason for their three straight loses is due to the absence of two time MVP Steve Nash, who is out with a shoulder injury.  Heads-up, the Mavs have beaten the Suns in both of their meetings this season.

In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons (32-19) are the favorites to win it all at 6-1. The addition of Chris Webber seems to have been a good move for the Pistons.  Since coming over from the 76ers, Webber has averaged 13.1 PPG and 7.3 RPG and the Pistons are 11-4.  Even though the defending champion Heat are currently on the playoff making cusp, they are the Eastern Conference team that is getting the most action to win it all (9-1).  The fact that Shaquille O’Neal is back in the starting lineup after missing 39 games probably has something to do with this.  No doubt, Shaq makes a difference when in the lineup as their winning six out of their last seven would indicate.

Just because it is the All-Star break doesn’t mean that you can’t bet on NBA hoops this weekend.  Be sure to log onto MySportsbook.com to bet on who you think will cut down the nets this July. Also, be sure to check out all of the lines and props for All-Star weekend.  With the highest credit card acceptance rate in the industry, there are plenty of ways to cash in on the NBA this weekend.

MySportsbook.com’s NBA Championship odds:

Atlanta Hawks 1000-1

Boston Celtics 5000-1

Charlotte Bobcats 5000-1

Chicago Bulls 20-1

Cleveland Cavaliers 20-1

Dallas Mavericks 2-1

Denver Nuggets 25-1

Detroit Pistons 6-1

Golden State Warriors 250-1

Houston Rockets 12-1

Indiana Pacers 60-1

Los Angeles Clippers 45-1

Memphis Grizzlies 5000-1

Miami Heat 9-1

Milwaukee Bucks 1000-1

Minnesota T-Wolves 200-1

New Jersey Nets 50-1

New Orleans Hornets 150-1

New York Knicks 150-1

Orlando Magic 75-1

Philadelphia 76ers 1000-1

Phoenix Suns 5-2

Portland TrailBlazers 1000-1

Sacramento Kings 250-1

San Antonio Spurs 9-1

Seattle Sonics 5000-1

Toronto Raptors 35-1

Utah Jazz 20-1

Washington Wizards 25-1

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