Green wins dunk contest; Kapono 3-point champ
Basketball Betting Lines
02/18/2007 -
Las Vegas, NV (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Boston's Gerald Green soared over last year's
slam dunk champion and then a table to win the 2007 slam dunk title as part of
All-Star Saturday night.
Green received a perfect 50 score from a distinguished panel of judges for his
final dunk to beat New York's Nate Robinson, the 2006 winner, on a night with
interesting twists.
A pair of Miami Heat players were winners Saturday. Jason Kapono outlasted
Washington's Gilbert Arenas to win the three-point shootout, while Dwyane Wade
repeated as the Skills Challenge title victor.
Also, Detroit won the Shooting Stars challenge by default when the Chicago
team took its shots out of turn in the final round.
However, the night belonged to Green, who compiled 91 points on a pair of
dunks in the final round to beat Robinson.
Chicago's Tyrus Thomas and Orlando's Dwight Howard were eliminated before the
finals, during the early rounds. However, Howard wooed the crowd by
placing a sticker of himself on the backboard with his left hand while dunking
with his right for his final dunk in the opening round. However, the dunk only
added up to 42 points after the scores were posted by Kobe Bryant, Vince
Carter, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, Michael Jordan and Dominique Wilkins.
During the dunk competition, Green changed his uniform and then his sneakers
before walking away with the title. First, he put on the jersey No. 7 of
former Boston dunk champion Dee Brown in 1991 for his final dunk of the
opening round and leaped over a still Robinson for a jam, drawing a score of
47 to advance to the finals.
Robinson had trouble with both of his dunks in the final round, scoring a 39
on his first attempt and a 41 on the 10th attempt of his second dunk.
Green netted a 41 on his first try and then came up with a perfect score by
soaring over a table put in the lane, bringing the ball to his knees while in
the air before hammering it through the basket.
Kapono tied Mark Price's final-round record with 24 points to win the three-
point shootout. Arenas scored 17 in the final round, while Dallas' Dirk
Nowitzki, last year's champion, had nine.
Memphis' Mike Miller, Cleveland's Damon Jones and Dallas' Jason Terry were
eliminated in the opening round.
Wade posted a final-round time of 26.4 seconds to beat Bryant to win the
skills event. Wade's first-round time of 31.3 seconds was second only to
Bryant (29.8) and eliminated Cleveland's LeBron James (35.4) and New
Orleans/Oklahoma City's Chris Paul (39.6).
Detroit's team of Chauncey Billups, Swin Cash and Bill Laimbeer won the
shooting stars portion, made up of NBA, WNBA and former NBA stars. Scottie
Pippen thought he led Chicago to a victory after hitting a half-court shot,
but Ben Gordon and Candice Dupree didn't shoot in turn.
In the lightest moment Saturday night, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley
backpedaled down the stretch to beat 67-year-old NBA referee Dick Bavetta in a
relay race. Bavetta dove to the finish line, while Barkley jogged backward
before falling to the floor in an event for charity.
The festivities were a prelude to the NBA All-Star game, scheduled to take
place Sunday at the Thomas & Mack Center.
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<< Smith's three-pointer lifts Louisville over Marquette
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lifting Louisville to a 61-59 win over No. 12 Marquette.
Dominic James hit a free
<< 19th-ranked Cornhuskers fall to Missouri
Lincoln, NE (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Carlynn Savant scored 17 points and pulled
down 13 rebounds, leading Missouri over 19th-ranked Nebraska, 65-53, at the
Bob Devaney Sports Center.
Eetisha Riddle chipped in with 16 points for the Tiger
<< Stanford routs No. 15 Oregon
Stanford, CA (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Brook Lopez scored a career-high 26 points and
pulled down nine rebounds, leading Stanford over 15th-ranked Oregon, 88-69, at
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Cal beats Oregon State in double-OT >>
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Walker hit two free throws, right after Devanei Hampton's layup gave Oregon
State the lead
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Sterling wins Jacob's Creek Open >>
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Problem with Bears?
Chicago, IL - New Chicago Bears quarterback Jay Cutler and star linebacker Brian Urlacher shot down reports of a rift, saying they're simply not true.
"There's nothing between us," Cutler said Thursday, when he reported to training camp. "I just want to put that to rest. There never has been anything between us."
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Urlacher added: "I never said what I was quoted as saying and that's it. I have a lot of respect for Jay. I think Jay knows that."
Former Bears receiver Bobby Wade caused a stir when he told Minneapolis radio station KFAN-AM that Urlacher used a profanity while questioning Cutler's manhood during a conversation in Las Vegas last weekend. Wade, who now plays for the Vikings, said Urlacher used a profane version of the word "wimp" during the interview that had to be edited out.
go radio station WSCR-AM also reported that Urlacher had to be restrained from confronting Cutler during organized team activities.
"I wouldn't go face-to-face with Brian, anyway," Cutler said. "No, that's never happened. I've hung out with Brian away from the facility numerous times and we've always gotten along."
Urlacher, noting he was limited by a groin injury, denied the reports in an interview with the Chicago Tribune and did it again when he reported to camp.
"I didn't practice this summer, so I don't know how I would fight the guy if I didn't practice," Urlacher said. "We have no problems. I'm excited about football starting. I'm excited to have him as our quarterback."
Why would Wade say that?
"I don't know," Urlacher said. "Maybe he's jealous because we have a good quarterback now."
Cutler said the first he heard of any friction was when he got a call from Urlacher to clear the air. Urlacher, however, said he had already taken several calls from teammates wondering if the reports were true when Cutler phoned.
"He called me and I said, What's up (expletive), what are you doing?'" a grinning Urlacher said, uttering the same word he allegedly used with Wade. "It's so dumb to me that this even got to this point, but it did and then here we are."
better place after going 9-7 and missing the playoffs for the second straight year. They have a franchise quarterback for the first time in decades after acquiring Cutler in an offseason trade with Denver. But there are questions about his attitude following a fallout with Broncos management and new coach Josh McDaniels.
His critics include former Bears coach Mike Ditka and former Indianapolis and Tampa Bay coach Tony Dungy, one of Smith's mentors. Smith, however, said Cutler has been a model teammate so far while denying any animosity with Urlacher.
"There's no issue with Jay and Brian, except Brian and Jay are both excited about being teammates for our club this year," coach Lovie Smith said. "No more than that. We can't spend a whole lot of time on something that isn't true. I have talked to the players. Whenever something comes out, you have to address it, but it's a non-issue."
In some ways, Cutler is getting a second chance in Chicago, an opportunity to repair his reputation.
Smith said another quarterback - Michael Vick - deserves one, although he doesn't see it happening with the Bears, who lack an experienced backup. The former Atlanta Falcons star, who served a 23-month sentence for running a dogfighting ring, said Thursday he is getting close to signing with a pro football team.
"A second chance, like everyone in society who has paid their debt to society," Smith said. "He deserves a second chance. As far as we're concerned, we like this team that we have right now."
Particularly the new quarterback.
"Me and Brian have been on a good relationship since I've been here, and I expect it to continue that way," Cutler said.
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