Spurs continue road trip versus 76ers

Basketball Betting Lines

02/19/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - The San Antonio Spurs aim for a third straight win on a season-long road trip that continues with tonight's matchup with the Philadelphia 76ers from the Wachovia Center.

San Antonio has posted a 4-2 record thus far on this eight-game trek and opened its post All-Star break schedule with Wednesday's 90-87 verdict over Indiana, in which Tony Parker scored a game-high 28 points in his return to the Spurs' lineup.

Parker, who had sat out San Antonio's 111-92 triumph at Denver on February 11 with a left hip flexor strain, made 11-of-20 field goal attempts to help compensate for an overall poor shooting performance by his team. The Spurs made just 35.4 percent of their tries from the floor, with perennial All-Star Tim Duncan going 4-of-23 and finishing with just eight points.

Duncan was a force on the boards, however, as the two-time NBA MVP pulled down 26 rebounds to help the Spurs prevail. San Antonio outrebounded the Pacers by a 56-47 margin on the evening.

"The story of the game was the glass," said Indiana head coach Jim O'Brien. "They got 20 points on second chance opportunities."

The win kept the Spurs one game behind Dallas for first place in the Southwest Division, and the club is currently tied with Oklahoma City for the fifth playoff seed in the Western Conference.

Philadelphia has an uphill battle in regards to reaching the postseason, sitting 6 1/2 games back of Charlotte for eighth place in the Eastern Conference at the moment. The Sixers have lost their last two contests and were routed by visiting Miami in their first outing following the break, dropping a 105-78 decision to the Heat on Tuesday.

Thaddeus Young scored 16 points to lead the Sixers, who shot a mere 37.9 percent overall and made just 1-of-12 attempts from three-point range. Allen Iverson returned to the lineup after sitting out five straight games to attend to his ill daughter, but mustered just four points on 1-of-7 shooting.

"I can not and will not use (my absence as) an excuse," Iverson said. "It was [the Heat's] first game after the break, too. They took care of their business; they just killed us in every facet of the game."

Philadelphia made one deal prior to Thursday's trade deadline, sending reserve guard Royal Ivey and seldom-used center Primoz Brezec to Milwaukee in exchange for rookie guard Jodie Meeks and center Francisco Elson. Meeks averaged 4.1 points and nearly 12 minutes of playing time in 41 games with the Bucks, who took the former Kentucky star in the second round of last year's draft.

San Antonio also made a minor move on Thursday, shipping veteran center and one-time Sixer Theo Ratliff to Charlotte for a second-round draft choice in 2016.

The home team has won the last five meetings in this series, with the Spurs' most recent win in Philadelphia coming on January 21, 2007. San Antonio did come through with a 97-89 victory over the 76ers in the Alamo City on November 29, with Duncan amassing 22 points to lead the way.

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Terrell Owens could return for Cowboys next game
A bye week will allow Terrell Owens broken hand to recover just in time for the next game the Dallas Cowboys are slated to play, according to reports. MySportsbook.com, an football sportsbook, has posted football betting lines on TO playing.

Owens broke the bone leading to his right ring finger Sunday night and had a plate surgically attached to it Monday. Although Owens' hand was swollen and aching Wednesday, Dallas Cowboys coach Bill Parcells said he's optimistic the receiver will be back at work next week and catching passes a week from Sunday against the Tennessee Titans.

MySportsbook.com online sportsbook listed Terrell Owens with odds of 7-2 (or $7 paid out for every $2 bet) to return back for the game against Tennessee.

"I certainly wouldn't rule it out now," Parcells said, referring to Terrell Owens immediate return. "Maybe five days from now I might, but I wouldn't rule it out now. ... I know we're looking to try to get him moving around pretty good in the next day or so. So we'll see where we are."

Owens did not speak with reporters Wednesday, but said Sunday he'd be out two to four weeks. A return against the Titans would be 13 days after the surgery. The Cowboys were listed as an early -7 1/2 favorite vs. the Tennessee Titans for Week 4 at MySportsbook.com

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