Love, T'Wolves top Spurs

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01/27/2012 - Minneapolis, MN (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Suddenly, Kevin Love and the Minnesota Timberwolves have the San Antonio Spurs' number.

Love had 18 points and 16 rebounds Friday night and the Timberwolves scored the final 10 points of the game to beat the Spurs for the second time in a row, 87-79.

The Timberwolves also beat the Spurs on January 2 at home, snapping a 16-game losing streak in the series. Friday was only their third victory in the last 24 meetings between the teams.

Tony Parker had 20 points to lead San Antonio, while Tim Duncan scored nine with 10 rebounds.

The Spurs took a 79-77 lead on Gary Neal's three-pointer with 3:33 remaining, but didn't score again, missing their final seven shots of the game.

"A terrific win for our guys, especially over a veteran team that wins games like that all the time," said Timberwolves coach Rick Adelman. "Hopefully it's a step forward for us."

Love had his 18th double-double of the season by the third quarter, but wasn't the only Timberwolves player to get one.

Rookie point guard Ricky Rubio scored 18 points with 10 assists for his eighth double-double of the season, while Nikola Pekovic had 14 points and 10 rebounds for his first.

Rubio's free throws tied the game at 79 and his jumper put the Timberwolves on top for good, 81-79, with 2:42 remaining. Moments later, he fed Love for a bucket to make it a four-point game.

Which is becoming a common sight for the 9-10 Timberwolves, who can reach .500 for the first time this season with a win over the Lakers at home on Sunday.

Love called Rubio, who entered the NBA with an already sparkling reputation, a "great" player. Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich didn't need to be told that, calling the 6-foot-4 Spaniard a "heck of a passer" with a good ability to read situations on the court.

"He's like a football quarterback," Popovich said.

There were 13 lead changes and five ties during the game. Love complained that the Timberwolves haven't been doing enough defensively early in games, and it showed Friday.

The Spurs shot 52.6 percent in the first quarter and had a 22-21 lead at the buzzer. Both teams shot under 39 percent in the second quarter and San Antonio kept its one-point lead at halftime, 42-41.

Minnesota led by as many as six in the third quarter, tying the game at 64-64 going into the fourth. The Spurs then shot just 27.8 percent over the last 12 minutes.

"We want to just continue to get better," Love said, looking forward to the chance to reach .500 this weekend, "and especially in the fourth quarter when it's close."

Game Notes

The Spurs started a three-game road trip that also includes games in Dallas and Memphis. They are currently in the midst of playing 16 of 21 games on the road and are currently 3-4 during the stretch so far...The Timberwolves were coming off a 105-90 win in Dallas on Wednesday after Love signed his four- year contract extension.

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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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