The Miami Heat may seem to have the Thunders’ number on the court with six straight victories, but count Las Vegas among those not ready to give up on the Thunders’ chances to beat the defending champions. The Thunder opened the year at odds of 5/1 to win the championship and are currently listed at 13/4, making them the second choice at the bookies to win it all. The San Antonio Spurs continue to get no respect despite having the league’s best record. The Spurs opened the year at 10/1 odds and are now currently the 6/1 third choice. All signs point to the Midwest duo of the Thunder and Spurs as the main obstacle to the Heat’s quest for a repeat. The veteran Spurs have tired out in the playoffs the past few seasons, but with a home record of 20-10 and a closing window of opportunity, the Spurs should not be forgotten. Also worth noting is the Heat’s very average road record of 13-11 on the road. If the Spurs are able to maintain the league’s best record and get by the youthful Thunder, the Heat should be leery. That is a big ‘if’, because though the Spurs match up well with the Heat, they might have trouble keeping up with the Thunder. The Midwest’s most exciting team is the Thunder, but the Spurs might be the best bet to beat the Heat if they are able to get by the Thunder.

Betting on the NBA playoffs seems even more complicated these days and if you can’t quite get your head round it then it may be a good choice to hold your horses and wait until you have a more comprehensive grasp of the betting game before placing your money on the table. If you’re really up for winning a bit of cash now however then maybe you should go for an alternative. This is easily found nowadays thanks to the recent growth in the online gambling industry. Online casinos offer free games that are valuable alternatives for those interested in practicing their gambling strategies before risking money on the slots or on the big game. One could not be blamed for playing games such as slot themed basketball game Dennis Rodman’s “The Worm” during your favorite teams off day. Have fun playing Mobile Casino Canada’s slot games online instead of betting on the NBA Finals. If you’d rather stick with the more skill-based games, which are usually card games such as Poker or blackjack then they are all available but remember not to get carried away and always gamble responsibly. But if sports betting really is your thing, the Spurs and the Thunder should be considered two substantial treats to the Heat and playing either one, especially the Spurs with the value they have, is advised.

Once play resumed though all of the momentum went back to Nadal, with Rafa breaking Djokovic’s serve in the opening game to put the match back on serve. Both players played strong for the next few games, not giving each other break points until Nadal was up 6-5 on serve in the fourth set. At 30-40 Djokovic serving, Djokovic double faulted to give Nadal his record breaking 7^th title at Roland Garros. With the ranking points earned by getting to the final Djokovic will still remain as world number one, and Nadal will not move back to world number two. If Nadal lost this match he would have dropped to number three because he won this tournament last year. But everything is back where is should be, and with Wimbledon, the Olympics and the USOPEN all just around the corner the top three players on the men’s side will look to defeat each other for more grand slam victories, while the world number four Andy Murray looks for his first ever grand slam. With the rest of the summer still up for grabs, only one thing remains certain, with his 52-1 record at the French Open, Rafael Nadal is the best player ever on the red clay in Paris.

The Packers needed the week 17 victory against the Bears just to get in to the playoffs, but now that they are here, they are having a field day. The undrafted Tramon Williams has morphed into a big play corner. He has three picks and two forced fumbles through two playoff games. No interception was bigger than the pick of Michael Vick in the end zone to ice the game. And then there was the interception return for a touchdown to sway momentum before the half against the Falcons. There is no doubt Jay Cutler will have to watch where he is on the field. He could turn into DeAngelo Hall, who picked Cutler off four times during the early pat of the season.

What’s more impressive is the resilience through the uncertainty. The Packers got to where they are despite losing 15 players to injury throughout the season, six of which were starters. Rodgers even missed a few games with a lingering concussion. But through it all, they are in the final four. Mike McCarthy certainly deserves to be in the conversation for coach of the year considering everything the team has endured.

The Bears may have an antidote for Rodgers potent passing attack in Julius Peppers. The Pro Bowl defensive end’s pass rush is one of the best in the league. Both defenses pose some problems for the opposing offense. The Packers’ Clay Matthews’ presence will be huge in both the pass and run game. It will be interesting to see who will get the upper hand on defense. Rodgers and the offense doesn’t have a cakewalk either, but he has a definitive advantage.

Rodgers’ escape ability is what really puts him over the top. Besides Vick, he is the best at avoiding a sack. That will have to be put on display if Rodgers wants to remain upright.

The Packers have been fighting for their lives throughout the entire season. Their desperation and perseverance kept them in the playoff race during the season and has driven them to success in the playoffs. And who knew who James Starks was before this season? Titletown has an opportunity to live up to its name with the upcoming grudge match with the biggest rivalry in football.

By Josh Delp of the Sports Fan Blog Network

In his first comments in the Packers locker room since the injury, Harris said he never thought about calling it quits.

“There’s no doubt in my mind. If there were, then I wouldn’t be here, standing here now,” the 13-year veteran said after the second of four public organized team activities this offseason.

Harris tore a ligament in his left knee on Nov. 22 against the 49ers while defending San Francisco wide receiver Michael Crabtree. He needed season-ending surgery and there had been questions whether the veteran would return.

Harris said it was tough to watch Green Bay lose to the Arizona Cardinals in the first round of the playoffs in January.

“That was hard, the bits and pieces that I did watch,” he said. “It’s still hard to watch, even watching practice. But that’s a part of it, and that fuels you, to watch the guys go out there and work, to watch your friends play cohesive as a group.

Click here to read the full article – By Associated Press of ESPN.com

“I think in the first inning, sometimes it’s kind of like a shaky one for me because I’m learning,” Garcia said. “After the delay I was able to stay focused, stay in the game mentally and physically.”

Albert Pujols extended his streak of reaching base to nine straight plate appearances with two intentional walks and a single in his first three at-bats. He finally made an out in the fifth inning, hitting into a double play. Pujols added an RBI single in a five-run sixth, one day after hitting three homers at Chicago.

Click here to read the full article – By R.B. Fallstrom of Associated Press

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Oklahoma City, Seattle, or whatever you want to call them, have lacked a big man for a long time. Since the days of Shawn Kemp, they have not had a huge inside presence. They passed up on Brook Lopez, although they are hardly at fault due to the success of Russell Westbrook. But this team has gone through big men of the likes of Robert Swift and Jerome James. This can all be fixed in the 2010 off-season, if management solves the big man problem.

by David at the Sports Fan Blog Network