Brooks perfect from long distance, Rockets end Memphis' road run

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03/17/2010 - Houston, TX (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Aaron Brooks led all scorers with 31 points and made all seven of his three-point attempts as the Rockets topped the Grizzlies, 107-94, ending Memphis' franchise-record seven-game road winning streak.

Brooks broke the team record for most triples in a game without a miss for the Rockets, who won their season-high fourth straight contest.

Luis Scola aided in the winning effort with 20 points and seven rebounds, while Kevin Martin netted 18.

Zach Randolph racked up 30 points and 15 rebounds for the Grizzlies, who have lost two of three.

Rudy Gay scored 14 points, while Marcus Williams and Mike Conley each dropped in 11 in the losing effort.

Memphis trimmed the Rockets lead to 82-76 on a Williams three to start the final quarter, but Houston extended its hold to double-digits on a Shane Battier triple over two minutes into the frame. The Rockets led by as many as 13 in the quarter.

"After the first quarter, we defended them well," said Rockets coach Rich Adelman. "We really moved the ball effectively in the fourth quarter."

Houston got within a point at 13-12 in the first quarter on a pair of Brooks free throws, but Memphis put together a 9-0 stretch, capped off by a Conley foul shot with under three minutes left. The Grizzlies finished the frame up 29-22.

Memphis held a 10-point edge at multiple points in the second quarter, but the Rockets fought back with a 11-4 run to end the half down only two at 55-53 on a pair of Martin foul shots.

Houston tied the contest at 55 on the first basket of the third quarter, on its way to an 11-2 flurry to extend the Rockets advantage to 64-57 with just over eight minutes left.

The Grizzlies cut the deficit to 70-68 on a Darrell Arthur jump hook with 4 1/2 minutes remaining, but the Rockets kept the lead and finished the period up 82-73 after Brooks drained his fifth consecutive triple and Scola converted on a finger roll in the final minute.

Game Notes

Houston's Jordan Hill registered a career-high nine rebounds...The Rockets improved to 13-0 this season when shooting 50 percent or better. They shot 22-of-35 from the field in the second half..Brooks has made a three in a franchise-record 39 straight games...Houston guard Kyle Lowry left the game with an apparent ankle injury.

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Online Sportsbook Football Betting

Colts give the ‘D’ its due

The Indianapolis Colts know that winning the Super Bowl last season put a huge target on their backs, and they expect opponents to go all-out to knock them from the top of the mountain.

They’ll get their first test from the New Orleans Saints this Thursday night. The defending champs had nothing but good things to say about the New Orleans defense this past week, praising their opponents’ pass rush and run-stopping abilities.

"They play very aggressively," head coach Tony Dungy told the New Orleans Times-Picayune. "They play a lot of man-to-man coverage, and they come after you. They have good pass rushers, and they're going to try to pressure us, I'm sure."

Both center Jeff Saturday and quarterback Peyton Manning gave New Orleans’ front four props, admitting keeping guys like Will Smithand Charles Grant contained would be a tall task for the offensive line.

New Orleans ranked second in total defense during the preseason at a sportsbook, allowing just under 233 yards per game. Last season, the defense finished 11th in the league after giving up 307.3 yards and 20.1 points per contest.

Not so sound on the ground

If Indianapolis' efficient offense has a weakness it has to be its running attack. The Colts one-two-punch of Dominic Rhodes and Joseph Addai is no longer, leaving the bulk of the carries to Addai, the second-year back out of LSU.

Former Saskatchewan Roughrider Kenton Keith was named Addai’s backup this week after beating out DeDe Dorsey for the second-string position. Indy has only three backs on the roster right now, including fullback Luke Lawton, and coach Dungy is aware of the thinness of his ground game. Sports Betting lines on the game can be found at BettingExpress.com

“We’ll continue to look. Luke Lawton’s done a good job for us too. So probably getting a third true tailback is something that we’d like to do,” Dungy told the Indiana Tribune-Star.

Last season, Addai rushed for over 1,000 yards in his rookie campaign and scored seven touchdowns on the ground.

Brees says bring it on

Opening the season on the road against the defending Super Bowl champions is not the way most teams would like to kick off their year – unless you’re the New Orleans Saints or their quarterback Drew Brees. This internet Sportsbooks had the Saints as the favorites.

Brees told the New Orleans Times-Picayune that he is excited to get the regular season started and the Colts are a great challenge for him and his teammates. The 28-year-old QB, entering his second season with the Saints, is expecting a wild environment in the RCA Dome this Thursday when the franchise celebrates its 2007-2007 championship.

Brees said he sees the opening game scheduling as an honor and a testament to how well New Orleans did last season. The Saints missed facing the Colts in the Super Bowl by one game, losing to the Chicago Bearsin the NFC Championship game.

"I mean, people think we can hang with these guys," Brees told reporters. "Even if they didn't, it wouldn't matter what they thought because as a team we're very confident. We know what we can do. We're not satisfied where we finished the season last year. And we've been looking forward to this opportunity for a long time."

SportsBooks ready for a shootout

Oddsmakers are preparing for some fireworks this Thursday when the NFL season kicks off. online Sportsbooks have Thursday’s total set at a whopping 52 points, accounting for two of the league’s most explosive offenses.

“This is like must-see TV,” Saints cornerback and former Colt Jason David told the Baton Rouge Advocate. “It’s two exciting offenses with great players. You’ve got a lot of star power on offense. At any given time a big play can happen. If I was a fan, I wouldn’t miss a snap.”

New Orleans, who ranked No.1 in total offense last season, can go blow-for-blow with the Colts’ attack. Head coach Sean Payton’s offensive schemes will get even better production out of Drew Brees, Reggie Bush and receiver Marques Colston now that they’ve each had a season of playing together under their belts.

The Saints and Colts were the top two passing teams in the NFL last year, but while Indianapolis managed to put up almost 27 points per game, New Orleans struggled to capitalize on their efforts. The Saints ranked fifth in points per game.

“Yards are great,” running backDeuce McAllister told reporters, “but to be able to score more touchdowns would be important for us.”

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