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02/22/2009 - Milwaukee, WI (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Charlie Villanueva scored a season-high 36 points and Ramon Sessions had 27 points and eight assists, as the Milwaukee Bucks edged the Denver Nuggets, 120-117, at the Bradley Center.
Villanueva finished 14-of-23 from the field, including 7-of-11 from three- point range, while Richard Jefferson chipped in with 17 points for the Bucks, who has won four of their last six games.
"Obviously, Charlie [Villanueva] and Ramon [Sessions] carried the offensive load for us," Bucks head coach Scott Skiles said. "We had some other guys chipping in with some points. For the most part, those two guys made the big offensive plays when we needed to have them."
Carmelo Anthony led Denver with 33 points and nine rebounds, while Chauncey Billups finished with 21 points. The Nuggets have lost two straight, including a 116-99 setback at Chicago on Friday. Despite the loss, the Nuggets finished their eight-game road trip with a 5-3 record.
Nene donated 17 points and seven boards before suffering a right knee contusion in the closing minutes of the fourth quarter after colliding with Jefferson. He will be further evaluated in Denver on Monday.
Renaldo Balkman registered 10 points and Linas Kleiza had 13 points to go along with six rebounds for Denver. Nuggets forward Kenyon Martin sat out with a sore back.
In the fourth quarter and the game tied at 96, neither team was able to pull away by more than three points at any stage of the period. Charlie Bell's two from the foul line gave the Bucks a 112-111 lead with 3:08 to play.
After both teams came up empty the next two trips down the floor, Anthony's two free throws put the Nuggets back in front by a point. Milwaukee would respond with a Jefferson layup to reclaim a one-point edge at 114-113 with 1:39 left.
The Bucks got multiple attempts on their next possession thanks in part to some good hustle on the offensive boards. A Villanueva short jumper in the lane gave the hosts a three-point lead at 116-113 with 33.3 seconds to go.
On Denver's next trip, J.R. Smith's off-balanced three drew nothing but air and Milwaukee secured the rebound. Luke Ridnour was fouled and made 1-of-2 from the stripe to extend the lead to four.
"I think J.R. [Smith] made the decision [to shoot] on his own," Nuggets head coach George Karl said. "He was our first option. He has the ability to make shots off-balance a little bit."
Following a layup by Anthony and 1-of-2 effort from the line by Sessions, the Bucks would again have a three-point advantage, this time for good. An attempted Billups' shot with four seconds left came up short and Milwaukee held on for the win.
In a high-scoring and back-and-forth first quarter, Villanueva's half-court heave to end the period gave the Bucks a 36-35 lead.
The up-tempo play continued in the second and after six straight points from Kleiza got the Nuggets even, Smith drained a three-pointer to put Denver ahead 44-41 a little over two minutes in.
Milwaukee maintained a slim edge for the majority of the quarter. But Denver mounted a 10-1 run in the last minute of the half. Dahntay Jones capped the surge with a half-court buzzer-beater, giving the visitors a 72-69 lead at the break.
Midway through the third quarter, a pair of free throws by Anthony put the Nuggets up by five at 84-79. But a Sessions' three-point play, a technical free throw and trey by Villanueva gave the Bucks a brief 93-90 edge.
Denver would get a Carter jumper and 1-of-2 effort from the charity stripe by Kleiza in the final minute to tie the game at 96-96 heading into the fourth quarter.
Game Notes
Denver will host Boston on Monday, while Milwaukee will visit Dallas on Wednesday...Despite the setback, the Nuggets have won four of the last six games in the series, including a 114-105 victory in Denver on November 18.
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101-91
BILLS (+10) at Steelers SPORTSBOOK LINES
It's impossible to gauge how a team will react after something like the Steve Everett situation, and it probably doesn't matter. That being said, the Bills are going to lose several games this year where they keep things close but fall short in the end to superior teams. Ben Roethlisberger and company could have a field day against Buffalo's decimated defense, but I like the Bills to cover.
BENGALS (-7) at Browns SPORTSBOOK LINES
All you can ask out of your NFL team is that it has a plan. You may not always agree with it as a fan, but as long as it appears the organization is going in some sort of direction, you have to go with it. Which brings us to the Cleveland Browns. You flip a coin to determine whether Chuck Frye or Derek Anderson should start the preseason opener. You start Frye in Week 1, but pull him in the first half. And then you deal him to the Seahawks for a sixth-round pick? Hmm... the Bengals could get six turnovers again this week.
COLTS (-7) at Titans SPORTSBOOK LINES
Tennessee signed ex-Colts cornerback Nick Harper in the offseason so that should help slow down Peyton Manning. Just ask Jason David and the Saints. Oh wait... One of these weeks, I'm going to learn to not pick against Tennessee, which has won seven of its last eight games. But it's not happening against Indy.
TEXANS (+6.5) at Panthers SPORTSBOOK LINES
Houston's Mario Williams, the first pick in the '06 draft, has more touchdowns than Reggie Bush after one week. Somehow I don't see that lasting. Meanwhile, Carolina bottled up what was expected to be a pretty high-octane offense in St. Louis in Week 1. Could this be the Panthers' defense everyone expected last year? Maybe. This feels like a 20-16 Carolina win.
RAMS (-3) vs. 49ers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Absolutely love this game. Everyone's favorite pick for this year's surprise team -- the 49ers -- laid an egg on Monday night (not that anyone was watching with the game ending in the middle of the night for those of us on the East Coast). St. Louis wasn't much better, delivering a lackluster effort against the Panthers that included two Steven Jackson fumbles and panic from his fantasy owners. Jackson rebounds this week, and the Rams get their first win.
PACKERS (+1.5) at Giants SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Do you really trust this guy to win an NFL game if Eli Manning can't go? I say no. I'd feel alot better about this Packers team if it had any semblance of a running game, but I still think Green Bay's defense is good enough to give it a 2-0 start.
JAGUARS (-10) vs. Falcons SPORTSBOOKS LINES
Does it scare me to pick Jacksonville to cover a double-digit spread after it scored just 10 points last week against the Titans? Absolutely. But can I bring myself to pick Atlanta under any circumstances? No. Check out this poll on ajc.com. It asks what Atlanta's most urgent deficiency is: offense, defense, specials teams or all of the above. "All of the above" has 57 percent of the votes. Ouch.
SAINTS (-3) at Buccaneers SPORTSBOOKS LINES
I'm picking way too many road teams this week. Oh well. New Orleans has had some time to reflect on its lackluster showing in the opener, and the Buccanneers just aren't a very good football team. Anyone else surprised Tampa Bay hasn't made a move to sign Byron Leftwich? I thought that's what they do.
VIKINGS (+3) at Lions SPORTS BETTING LINES
Run the ball and stop the run. Minnesota can do both, and that will keep them in a lot of games this season. Even though it was only one week, Adrian Peterson looks like he was a steal at No. 7 in last year's draft. Not only will he produce, but Peterson delivers excitement to what otherwise would be one of the league's most boring teams.
DOLPHINS (+3.5) vs. Cowboys SPORTS BETTING LINES
Lost in the Tony Romo lovefest is just how bad the Cowboys' defense was last week. I know they're banged up, but Dallas' 'D' allowed 438 yards to the Giants' offense, and backup running back Derrick Ward averaged 6.8 yards per carry. Meanwhile, Cam Cameron's decision to split carries between Ronnie Brown and Jesse Chatman sounds about as can't-miss as Larry David's plan to show up to Marty Funkhouser's party a night late. Still, gotta go with Miami to cover at home.
SEAHAWKS (-2.5) at Cardinals SPORTS BETTING LINES
I'm probably missing something, but this game seems too easy. Arizona blew Monday night's game against the 49ers in typical Cardinals fashion, and the Seahawks beat Tampa Bay by two touchdowns. Love Seattle in this one.
BRONCOS (-9.5) vs. Raiders SPORTS BETTING LINES
Special teams was a major story line in Week 1. Take a look at the Broncos. They had to rush on to the field to get a Jason Elam field goal as time expired against the Bills. Denver drove into Buffalo territory on eight of 10 drives but came away with just a pair of field goals and a touchdown. Look for more scoring from the Broncos this week against an Oakland defense that gave up 36 points to Detroit in Week 1.
BEARS (-12) vs. Chiefs SPORTS BETTING LINES
Everyone talks about Rex Grossman when dissecting the Bears' offense, but Chicago's quarterback got no help in last week's loss to the Chargers. Meanwhile, Kansas City confirmed what we all thought while watching Hard Knocks: The Chiefs are going to stink this year. It could be a rough first month for Larry Johnson fantasy owners. Kansas City's RB was limited to 43 yards on 10 carries in Week 1, and the Chiefs face the Bears, Vikings and Chargers the next three weeks, all formidable run defenses.
RAVENS (-10) vs. Jets SPORTS BETTING LINES
A big dose of Willis McGahee and a usual sound defensive effort will give the Ravens their first win. According to Football Outsiders, no team in the NFL rushed only three defenders on pass plays last year more than the Jets. And according to my special Jets correspondent Ben Stauber, New York did the same in Week 1. Whoever starts at quarterback for the Ravens should have all day to throw.
PATRIOTS (-3) vs. Chargers
Friends and I were discussing how Bill Belichick goes about paying his $500,000 fine for cheating. Does he just write one check to the NFL? Do you need some sort of clearance to make such a monstrous financial transaction? I guess I shouldn't complain about the security deposit I have to put down on my new apartment. Anyway, two of the league's best teams square off in what should be a good one Sunday night. The Patriots always respond well just when you think they're in trouble. And their offensive attack was the story in Week 1.
Note: Monday night game will be picked Monday. Lines used are from football betting.
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