Kobe Bryant is averaging 25 points a game, his lowest output since 2003-04.

Evan Gole/NBAE via Getty Images

Lakers lose, fans panic, Lakers win ... L.A.'s cycle of life

LOS ANGELES -- So apparently Ron Artest chirped at Phil Jackson one day at practice, and this was supposed to be a sign of mounting Laker troubles. Then the losses came, and Matt Barnes got hurt and Lamar Odom went all reality TV.

Laker troubles. That's a good one.
Just maybe the Lakers have waded through deeper waters before. They've won 11 times in the last 14 games, ever since four consecutive losses in late-December came with the reminder that no Jackson team has ever lost four in a row and won the crown. But, then, the storied franchise and its coach have always been about the unconventional, so there's no reason a short losing streak should signal doom.

Things were just too un-Laker like before. It was too quiet. Back-to-back titles, Bryant coming off knee surgery, Odom returning from a starring role as the United States won the world championships, Jackson mostly indicating this would be the final season of the legendary career ... and, hey, look over there, everyone! It's the Heat!
In a rare calm, undercover moment on the other side of the continent, the Lakers smiled politely through camp, lowered expectations in the preseason, then so impressively bolted from the gate that it was easy to find short-sighted people wanting to compare the 2010-11 squad with the greatest in franchise history. At least players stayed grounded, noting the soft schedule as part of the 13-2 start.
Theirs was still a simple life as late as the second full week of December, even with the four-game losing streak already on the scales. Andrew Bynum had returned from a knee injury and was quickly providing a defensive boost, Bryant, Odom and Pau Gasol were generally playing well, and the 21-7 mark projected to 62-20, or a better regular season than two of the three previous campaigns that ended with Finals appearances. The pressing problem was the rise of the Spurs and Mavericks. The Lakers themselves were outwardly fine.

Then came the holidays. Bucks 98, Lakers 79 followed by Heat 96, Lakers 80 on Christmas followed by Spurs 97, Lakers 82. Bryant called out teammates for playing with a lack of urgency. Artest and Jackson had words in a practice. Early in the new year, Mavericks owner Mark Cuban jabbed Jackson as a "boy toy," and a day later it was announced that Odom and wife Khloe Kardashian would star in a show on the E! network. A few days after that, Barnes tore cartilage in his right knee and needed surgery.
That's more like it!
In what was either a related development or an amazing coincidence, after a 15-point loss to San Antonio on Dec. 28, the wins followed, including one stretch of seven straight. It was as if the Lakers needed zany again to be in their true comfort zone.
"You need adversity," said guard Derek Fisher, one of the team's emotional leaders. "You need ups and downs. That's really where true growth takes place, during struggles and adverse situations. After tough losses or a bad stretch, you're forced to look in the mirror. You have to question some things. Are we doing the right things offensively and defensively? Without that, you never ask yourself those tough questions."

The Lakers had the same late-December malaise last season, and that turned out pretty well. Through all the supposed problems, through all the griping around them and the ridiculously quick moves to write them off, they're in second place in the West, six games behind the Spurs.
They have another telling eight-game stretch ahead, starting Tuesday night against Utah. The stretch includes another meeting with San Antonio, two with the Celtics in Finals rematches (Sunday at Staples Center and Feb. 10 at Boston) and one with the Hornets and Jazz.
Time to panic? Whatever, it's business as usual for the Lakers

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Badminton

GB boss Christy on defensive over exit of head coach

The boss of Badminton England (BE) has denied Great Britain head coach Andy Wood was forced to quit because his position was being undermined.

Wood's exit earlier this month follows that of performance director Ian Moss in July, just 18 months into his job.
BE chief executive Adrian Christy admitted Wood resigned "believing his authority to be frequently undermined" but insisted: "That was not the case.

"Andy had all the support to make the decisions within the field of play."
But Christy added: "When [those decisions] lacked a clear outcome and posed a risk to the integrity of BE, they had to be questioned."

Christy said he appreciated concerns that the last 12 months had been disruptive for the sport so close to the 2012 Olympics, but insisted it was not in crisis.

As well as the loss of two high-profile members of staff, this year badminton lost £540,000 in funding as part of UK Sport's annual review, a move which Christy described at the time as "disappointing but a fair reflection of recent world level performances".

He said: "The past 12 months have been really challenging for our Olympic programme and I don't hide from the fact that it has caused far too much disruption to the development of our players.
"Our focus now is very much on rebuilding an environment that achieves success and to do that we need a team of coaches and athletes that are all working as one.

"When we feel that is not the case, we have to make changes.
"While I appreciate that causes some short-term disruption, we know we don't have much time and, if changes are necessary, we have to make them.

"We have lost some key staff in a short period and, of course, that creates uncertainty and a lack of continuity but it is critical for our world-class programme to establish a cohewww.12Bet.comsive training and competitive environment."
Christy added: "This is not a programme that is failing; it is a programme that has had a tough year but knows where it is going and I am determined we will get there."

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Ruthless Chelsea expose predictable Bolton

Bolton's renaissance under manager Owen Coyle has come at a time when his Chelsea counterpart Carlo Ancelotti seems to have been losing his grip on his side's title ambitions.

But the pair would have walked away from a chilly night at the Reebok on Monday thinking their teams are heading in different directions.

The 4-0 victory was perhaps a generous scoreline for the Londoners, but after a fine goal from Didier Drogba to set them on their way, they rarely looked troubled as they maintained a remarkable record at Bolton which has resulted in them winning eight games on the bounce without conceding a goal.

"I think we've turned the corner," said Ancelotti afterwards. "We are playing good football with a good attitude and a good mentality. I think we are coming back to fight for everything."

It was the first time Chelsea have won three consecutive games since a run which began in October but Coyle accepted his team, who had only lost once at the Reebok this season, were punished for its mistakes.

"Gretar Steinsson had a poor touch and was punished severely for the first goal," Coyle stated. "The second goal came from a corner which was not cleared and we paid a heavy price for bad decision making - the third goal our skipper [Kevin Davies] passed the ball to them.

"They got the bounce of the ball, it didn't go for us tonight, but to give up our terrific home record tonight is something we're disappointed with."

It is just over a year since the Scot joined Bolton from Burnley and while he has been credited with bringing more entertaining football to the Reebok after the years under Gary Megson and Sam Allardyce, the result would have been disappointing given that he has also made them harder to beat.

Statistics show that Bolton have only reduced the percentage of their long passing (35 yards and over) by a small amount from 22% under Megson last season to about 18% with Coyle. They are the fourth in Premier League for long passes attempted, behind Birmingham, Blackpool and West Brom.

But more revealing is that in the first half of last season - when Megson was still in charge - Bolton were conceding an average of two league goals a game. Following Coyle's appointment that figure dropped to 1.55 goals a game.

That also coincided with a drop in goals scored for Bolton (0.8 goals per game), which suggests that the Scot's priority was defensive solidity, but this season they have restored this to an average of 1.4 league goals a game with strikers Johan Elmander and Kevin Davies grabbing 16 between them. 

The quality of some of those strikes, including Elmander's effort against Wolves, Stuart Holden's sucker punch against Blackburn and Mark Davies's superb team goal against Blackpool show that it is not only statistically where Bolton have improved.

Mark Davies's ball-carrying from central midfield has been an apt portrayal of Coyle's shift in style. But against Chelsea he started on the bench with the more combative Fabrice Muamba alongside Holden.

That enabled Bolton to press Chelsea high up the pitch and they carved out several first-half openings when they got the ball wide to Martin Petrov who created headed chances for Kevin Davies and Matt Taylor.

But Chelsea weathered that storm and with Drogba's 33-yard strike on 11 minutes piercing Bolton's early optimism, Ancelotti's side became more comfortable soaking up the pressure and hitting Bolton on the break. 

One of the key reasons they were able to do this was because they had John Mikel Obi back in the side after an injury-hit period.

With full-backs Ashley Cole and Jose Bosingwa encouraged to get forward, the Nigerian often acts as Chelsea's third defender in addition to their centre-backs, and as a result they are less likely to concede goals.

So perhaps it has come as no surprise that his absence in recent weeks has coincided with the team's dip in form. 

Michael Essien, who has been out of sorts, and fellow midfielder Ramires, who is still getting to grips with the English game, have attempted to perform Mikel's role but they have not quite matched the 23-year-old in providing defensive protection. The other thing that Mikel provides is an easy pass out of defence.

Chelsea's defeat by Arsenal at the Emirates over the Christmas period provided a stark example of Mikel's worth when Ancelotti took him off at half-time, only to see the Gunners pinch the ball in exactly the kind of space he usually occupies and score twice in the 3-1 victory.

Chelsea do not mind if Cole and Bosingwa get forward. They know that if opponents attack their defence down the flanks, the aerial presence of centre-backs John Terry and Branislav Ivanovic are more than capable of dealing with any crosses.

So if teams are to make an inroad into Chelsea's rearguard, they need to be able to mix their play, combining attacks from the wings and through the middle.

Average positions for Bolton's players in the game against Chelsea on Monday show they generally played far wider than Wolves, who beat Ancelotti's side 1-0 on 5 January.

Mark Davies's introduction in the second half provided Bolton with a chance to vary their raids and he introduced fluidity to their midfield play almost instantly, combining with Elmander for a one-two that the midfielder just failed to get on the end of.

The only problem was that by then Bolton were 3-0 down but it would have been interesting to see if the former Wolves player could have made an impact had he been brought on earlier.

Bolton's evolution from a supposed long-ball team to a slicker outfit might have been dispelled by statistics but their success this season has come from an ability to blend the short and long, making them less predictable.

Unfortunately, a ruthless Chelsea display did not give them the chance.

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Blackpool   2 - 3   Man Utd

Berbatov (right) and Hernandez took advantage of a tiring Blackpool

Manchester United staged a stunning late comeback to go five points clear at the top of the Premier League table with victory at Blackpool.

United's attempt to extend their unbeaten league sequence to 23 games this season looked to be in shreds as the Seasiders - managed by Ian Holloway - roared into a fully deserved two-goal lead at the interval.
Blackpool still held the advantage given to them by two headed goals, from former United youngster Craig Cathcart and DJ Campbell, with only 18 minutes left - but they were then hit by a torrent of attacks that brought United boss Sir Alex Ferguson's visitors an unlikely triumph.
And Ferguson himself was able to take much of the credit for the turnaround following his decision to remove a subdued Wayne Rooney after 66 minutes and replace the England man with Javier Hernandez, who went on to play a crucial role in United's fightback.

Terrific fightback pleases Phelan

Dimitar Berbatov found the first cracks in the home side's resilience when he pulled one back from close range and Hernandez himself drew the visitors level with a composed finish three minutes later as Bloomfield Road's earlier jubilation turned to despair.

And after a lengthy delay caused by an injury to Rafael da Silva - which resulted in 10 minutes of stoppage time - Berbatov maintained his golden run of form by punishing more gaps in Blackpool's rearguard to fire home the winner with his 19th league goal of the campaign.

It was a bitter pill for Holloway and his players, who performed magnificently in the first half to take full toll on a shoddy United display, to swallow as they slumped on the turf at the final whistle.
At the heart of that dramatic opening period was in-demand midfield man Charlie Adam, who continues to be pursued by Liverpool and has informed Blackpool of his desire to leave
.
Adam dictated the game in an enthralling opening half, showing his full range of passes and providing both of the corners from which the Seasiders scored.

He gave a display that fully justified Holloway's insistence that he is worth more than the £4m currently on offer from Liverpool.

Blackpool may feel the game turned on the moment early in the second half when referee Peter Walton rejected penalty claims as Rafael appeared to bundle Luke Varney to the ground in the area.

From then on the visitors, inspired by the composure provided by Ryan Giggs after he came on for Darron Gibson at half-time, managed to unscramble their senses to slowly but surely overpower gallant Blackpool.

In another demonstration of the resilience and never-say-die spirit that is built into this United side, they hunted Blackpool down once they had the whiff of victory and there was almost an inevitability about the final outcome once they found a foothold in the game.

The only cloud on their night was that injury to Rafael, who was followed off the pitch by his anxious brother Fabio as he was stretchered away down the tunnel.

Holloway had no hesitation in including Adam in his starting line-up - and the Blackpool boss was rewarded as the Scot emerged as the stand-out performer in a memorable first half.

Recovering from an early arm injury that required treatment, Adam was heavily involved and left United defender Patrice Evra with a facial injury following a clash near the touchline that infuriated Ferguson, who remonstrated with referee Walton.

Evra was only just recovering his position after a spell of treatment when the home side took the lead in the 15th minute, Cathcart losing his marker Berbatov to power a header past goalkeeper Edwin van der Sar.
Blackpool's fearless and positive approach had United rattled, an uncertainly that was underlined when Van der Sar had to react swiftly to prevent Nemanja Vidic turning Adam's dangerous cross into his own net.
Seconds later Elliot Grandin blazed over the top from 10 yards when a second goal looked certain.

Ferguson attempted to inject some urgency into United by moving Rooney inside from his left-flank position in support of Berbatov - but still it was Blackpool who were in control and they deservedly doubled their lead two minutes before the interval.

Van der Sar did superbly to turn David Vaughan's shot away for a corner, but there was to be no reprieve for United. Adam's corner glanced off Gibson and Campbell was alert at the far post to send Bloomfield Road into ecstasy.

Holloway 'gutted' after Man Utd defeat

Ferguson, who presumably showed no mercy to his shambolic side at half-time, sent on Giggs for Gibson and United immediately showed a greater sense of urgency.

It was the Seasiders, however, who were swiftly on the attack again and they had very presentable claims for a penalty waved away as Varney tumbled under a challenge from Rafael.

Blackpool keeper Richard Kingson was finally tested by efforts from Nani and Paul Scholes but United's lack of sustained threat prompted Ferguson to remove Rooney and send on Hernandez.

The results were spectacular as Ferguson's men launched a stunning revival with two goals in the space of three minutes. Berbatov was the first to strike with 18 minutes left as he turned in Darren Fletcher's cross before Hernandez raced on to Giggs's pass and steered his finish past Kingson.

United had the momentum, but it was halted when defender Rafael fell awkwardly and required lengthy treatment behind the goal before being stretchered away.

After a delay that resulted in such a lengthy spell of stoppage time, United soon picked up the pace again and with three minutes of normal time Berbatov took control inside the Blackpool area to bury his finish emphatically beyond Kingson after running on to Scholes's pass.

Blackpool had nothing left to give, despite that lengthy period of injury time, and United had once again produced the sort of fightback that has become their trademark under Ferguson.

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EPL New Standings

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• English Premier League Standings

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Other standings: MLS | England | France | Germany | Italy | Netherlands | Spain

 

#	Team	GP	W	L	T	PTS	GF	GA	Diff	Home	Away
1	Manchester United	21	12	0	9	45	43	19	+24	10-0-1	2-0-8
2	Manchester City	23	13	4	6	45	37	19	+18	7-2-3	6-2-3
3	Arsenal	22	13	5	4	43	45	22	+23	6-3-1	7-2-3
4	Chelsea	22	11	6	5	38	38	19	+19	8-1-2	3-5-3
5	Tottenham Hotspur	22	10	5	7	37	31	25	+6	6-1-5	4-4-2
6	Sunderland	23	8	5	10	34	26	23	+3	6-1-5	2-4-5
7	Bolton Wanderers	23	7	7	9	30	34	31	+3	5-1-5	2-6-4
8	Stoke City	22	9	10	3	30	28	26	+2	6-4-2	3-6-1
9	Newcastle United	22	8	9	5	29	35	32	+3	4-4-3	4-5-2
10	Blackpool	21	8	9	4	28	31	36	-5	3-3-2	5-6-2
11	Blackburn Rovers	23	8	11	4	28	29	37	-8	5-3-3	3-8-1
12	Everton	22	5	6	11	26	25	27	-2	3-3-4	2-3-7
13	Liverpool	22	7	10	5	26	27	31	-4	6-2-3	1-8-2
14	West Bromwich Albion	22	7	11	4	25	29	41	-12	5-4-2	2-7-2
15	Fulham	22	4	7	11	23	23	25	-2	3-3-5	1-4-6
16	Birmingham City	21	4	6	11	23	21	26	-5	3-2-6	1-4-5
17	Aston Villa	22	5	10	7	22	24	39	-15	4-3-4	1-7-3
18	Wigan Athletic	22	4	8	10	22	19	34	-15	2-4-6	2-4-4
19	Wolverhampton	22	6	13	3	21	24	38	-14	5-4-2	1-9-1
20	West Ham United	23	4	11	8	20	22	41	-19	3-5-4	1-6-4

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Hawks C Jason Collins ejected for hard foul

ATLANTA (AP) --

 

Atlanta center Jason Collins has been ejected from the Hawks' game against New Orleans on Friday night after a hard foul on David West. I

n the opening minute of the third quarter, West took a pass from Chris Paul and went in for an attempted dunk. Collins gave the foul with both arms around West's head, prompting a staredown between the players but nothing more serious as the officials jumped in to push the Hornets player away.
Collins started at center in place of injured Al Horford.


For the Scheduled Matches log on to www.12bet.com

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Frustrated with NBA...

2010-2011 Conference Regular Season Standings											12Bet OFFERED NBA Season Matches
Eastern Conference
Eastern	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
Boston	33	9	0.786	0.0	25-5	9-1	21-3	12-6	8-2	W 5
Miami	30	13	0.698	3.5	19-6	6-2	15-5	15-8	6-4	L 4
Chicago	29	14	0.674	4.5	16-9	8-0	19-4	10-10	6-4	W 1
Orlando	28	15	0.651	5.5	19-7	5-3	17-5	11-10	7-3	W 2
Atlanta	28	16	0.636	6.0	19-8	6-2	14-7	14-9	7-3	L 1
New York	22	20	0.524	11.0	12-9	4-3	10-9	12-11	4-6	L 5
Charlotte	17	24	0.415	15.5	11-16	2-5	12-10	5-14	6-4	W 2
Indiana	16	23	0.410	15.5	10-13	3-4	10-10	6-13	3-7	L 3
Philadelphia	17	25	0.405	16.0	12-18	3-4	12-7	5-18	4-6	L 2
Milwaukee	16	24	0.400	16.0	10-11	3-3	9-9	7-15	4-6	W 2
Detroit	15	28	0.349	18.5	9-14	2-3	11-9	4-19	4-6	L 2
Toronto	13	30	0.302	20.5	9-19	4-6	8-12	5-18	2-8	L 6
Washington	12	29	0.293	20.5	7-20	1-8	12-9	0-20	4-6	L 2
New Jersey	12	31	0.279	21.5	7-18	0-6	9-10	3-21	3-7	W 2
Cleveland	8	34	0.190	25.0	7-19	1-7	5-14	3-20	0-10	L 15
Western Conference
Western	W	L	PCT	GB	CONF	DIV	HOME	ROAD	L 10	STREAK
San Antonio	37	6	0.860	0.0	24-3	6-2	24-2	13-4	8-2	W 8
L.A. Lakers	32	13	0.711	6.0	17-9	8-2	17-5	15-8	8-2	W 1
Oklahoma City	27	15	0.643	9.5	15-11	6-2	15-6	12-9	6-4	L 2
Dallas	27	15	0.643	9.5	17-7	4-5	15-8	12-7	3-7	L 1
New Orleans	28	16	0.636	9.5	13-11	5-3	17-5	11-11	8-2	W 7
Utah	27	16	0.628	10.0	13-11	3-4	15-7	12-9	5-5	L 3
Denver	24	18	0.571	12.5	16-12	5-2	19-5	5-13	5-5	L 1
Portland	24	20	0.545	13.5	17-13	6-4	15-5	9-15	6-4	W 4
Phoenix	20	21	0.488	16.0	11-14	4-4	11-9	9-12	6-4	W 5
Memphis	20	23	0.465	17.0	14-14	3-5	13-7	7-16	6-4	W 1
Houston	20	24	0.455	17.5	10-16	2-5	12-9	8-15	4-6	L 1
Golden State	19	23	0.452	17.5	11-15	4-5	13-7	6-16	6-4	W 4
L.A. Clippers	16	26	0.381	20.5	12-19	6-4	13-13	3-13	6-4	L 1
Minnesota	10	33	0.233	27.0	3-23	0-8	8-12	2-21	2-8	L 3
Sacramento	9	32	0.220	27.0	4-19	1-8	6-16	3-16	2-8	L 4

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After a 9-8 start, the Heat's Big Three have enjoyed success at their foes' expense)

Heat thank November swoon for helping them find way to bloom

Posted Jan 13 2011 11:58AM

"Actually, I really don't care. I really don't. So much has been made of it, I just ... my focus is in here."
-- Ray Allen, guard, Boston Celtics
"I don't think about what they do. Honestly. It's not my concern in the least. I mean, everybody else is so concerned with what they're doing. I really don't care. They're playing very well. Good for them."
-- Tim Duncan, forward, San Antonio Spurs
"The Heat is what we thought it was. If you want to crown them, then crown their ..."
-- Dennis Green, former coach, NFL Arizona Cardinals
Oops, check that. The third quote about the Miami Heat came from Doc Rivers, coach of the Boston Celtics, and it wasn't nearly as entertaining or half as emotional as Green's postgame rant from a few years about the Chicago Bears. "I could care less, honestly. I am always concerned about our team," Rivers said when asked the other day about the team locked elbow-to-elbow with his atop the Eastern Conference.
If the sports world in general is sick of the endless Carmelo Anthony trade conjecture and hand-wringing, the players and coaches within the NBA's gyms and locker rooms have had their belly full of something quite different: Miami and its metamorphsis from the kickable, beleaguered bunch of November into pretty much what everyone expected and feared.
From a 9-8 start that was almost too good to be true to those who hated the Heat, to the tsunami-like turnaround in winning 21 of 22 games from Nov. 29-Jan. 9, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh, coach Erik Spoelstra and the rest seem now to have righted themselves faster than you can say schadenfreude.

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Their 111-105 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Wednesday night at Staples Center? Six or seven weeks ago, that would have been all about piling on and keeping the Heat down. Now it's the sort of thing teams celebrate for its rarity. An upset rather than an obligation to heed the "Kick Me" signs long gone from Miami's backs.
Miami's Big Three still accounted for 84 points, but the Heat's road-winning streak was snapped at 13, three victories shy of tying the NBA record (16, Los Angeles Lakers, 1971-72). What matters most, though, is that the Heat are capable of starting another such streak as soon as Thursday night when they face the Denver Nuggets in the fourth game of a five-game trip.
And just so everyone knows, the Heat players haven't forgotten how much people enjoyed their struggles through the first month of this season. They are enjoying the fact that those people no longer can enjoy that.
"I would hope that everybody appreciates good basketball," Bosh said after Miami's 101-95 overtime victory in Milwaukee Friday. "But we know we're going to have a lot of people against us. That's OK. Every team is going to go through some kind of controversy, some kind of dilemma every season. Ours came early, and I think it was really good for us to experience that. It really helped us come closer together and just figure things out. Ever since then, we've been playing well."

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Understatement alert: The Heat have been torrid. They strung together nine straight victories, and 10 of 11, by more than 10 points each. Miami is 19-4 vs. the Eastern Conference, 15-6 on the road, ranks No. 1 in defensive field-goal percentage (.425), second in shooting percentage (.474) and first in scoring differential (9.08).
As Boston navigates a series of injuries, as Orlando regroups and resets itself from its rather large trades with Phoenix and Washington, as the Lakers twist and turn through their daily dramas, Miami is right where everyone thought they would be on that fateful night of bad television back in July.
They have a chance only to tie -- rather than break -- the 1995-96 Chicago Bulls' record of 72-10. That's what happens when a team goes from barely past Thanksgiving to well beyond New Year's Day with just two losses.
"I'm not going to lie to you: I'm very surprised it turned around very quickly," Bosh said. "But I'm not mad at all. I want to build on it and keep going. We still feel we can get a lot better. In order to win that championship, we're going to have to improve every day."
Said Wade: "We knew we'd turn it around. But I think we fast-tracked this thing a little quicker than we even expected. The biggest thing was, even when we were struggling, we stayed together. We knew it was going to take time. It's not ideal having me miss the whole preseason and then having Udonis [Haslem] go down and having Mike [Miller] go down. We had a lot of different things going on. But we figured it out."
Miami's turnaround has been as sudden as the way its roster came together: seemingly on a dime and within a matter of weeks. Even Gregg Popovich, whose success in San Antonio has been built on continuity, is impressed.
"What is shows is how really talented and great those players are," Popovich said Wednesday after the Spurs' victory at Milwaukee. "Conventional wisdom would be that it takes a while to put things together. But these guys, I think, are an anomaly because they are so talented. They are some of the best players in the league, top echelon, not just because of their talent but because of their drive, their competitiveness on top of it. So they're going to give everybody fits as the year continues. They're just going to get better."

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Things have gone so well, the Clippers game not withstanding, that Spoelstra has had to cope with a scarcity of teachable moments lately -- which at least is better than coping with rampant speculation about his job security. Two overtime escapes against the Bucks and the Trail Blazers to start this trip, followed by the 18-point hole the Heat dug in the first quarter at Staples Center Wednesday, has given him enough to re-load.
But the real challenge will be keeping the Heat focused and hungry to the point that they don't try to win games by playing well for a quarter or two.
"We've proven we can have these great bursts over the course of a game," Spoelstra said. "It changes from game to game. What we want to have is an absolute team and game burst. That's what we're striving for. Until we reach that level of real consistency, we're not reaching our full potential."
The Heat coach said that, as trying as it was, the struggles of November made possible what his team has done since. "We had incredible desperation -- a collective desperation at the end of November -- to figure it out and turn it around," Spoelstra said. "There's a lot of anxiety. Those are powerful team emotions. Now we have to make sure we have that similar frame of mind.
"We cannot let that month affect our frame of mind right now. We have to reach higher. Simply to try to get to another level. There might be another two or three levels with this team."
Scary thought.

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James has been doing his part, playing to -- and reinforcing -- his newfound role of NBA villain everywhere he goes. If he doesn't do it on the floor (44 points at Portland, 38 at Charlotte, a triple-double as the Lakers' Christmas gift), he does it via Twitter or some stray pre- or postgame comment. The boos continue.
"I hope it doesn't stop, me personally," he said last week. "I think it's great to use it as motivation. A little adversity. There's nothing wrong with that. We thrive in those pressure situations on the road.
"The funny thing is we've heard a lot of boos for the first few quarters. Late in the third or in the fourth quarter, we've heard some cheers. We just work through it. ... We don't go into games saying 'Let's turn the boos into cheers.' Which is pretty cool when you can do that."
The rest of the league might not be booing, but it most certainly is flinching. Three years ago, another Insta-Team came together more quickly than anyone expected. We all could be seeing that happen again.
"Usually when you make [dramatic personnel] moves like that, historically, everyone says 'You can't do it in the first year,' " Rivers said. "It's funny, my take on it with [our team] was, 'You're old, you can't take a lot of years.' And it really came to fruition when you think about it the following year, Kevin [Garnett] was hurt. Where with this group, they do have a lot of years, as far as age. But you can't take any year for granted.
"If you have a chance to win it, you'd better do it if you can. Because the following year, there's no guarantee with injuries, trades, personalities."
The clock is ticking for everyone. Pounding for some. Humming for the Heat.


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Roque Santa Cruz is glad to be back ...

Roque Santa Cruz is glad to be back at Ewood Park after a ‘frustrating period’ at Manchester City under Roberto Mancini.
Santa Cruz, 29, has rejoined Blackburn on loan until the end of the season, 18 months after leaving for City in a 17.5 million pound deal.
The Paraguyan has struggled to make an impression under Mancini where he always seemed to be second-best behind the likes of Carlos Tevez, Mario Balotelli and Emmanuel Adebayor in the pecking order at Eastlands.
“I felt a bit ignored by the manager,” Santa Cruz said.
“It’s been hard not to play, not to be chosen, even though I feel great.”
“It’s frustrating, I’ve been playing a lot through the years with small injuries and just when I feel perfect to play and perform I wasn’t selected.
“I feel like I am coming home, this has been the easiest decision of my career.”
He added: “I want to get playing and scoring goals again and this is a real chance for me to prove myself after a frustrating period. Everyone knows what Blackburn Rovers means to me.”
Santa Cruz became a huge fan favourite during his first spell at the club, scoring 29 goals in two years after arriving from Bayern Munich in 2007.
His move back to Rovers does not guarantee a permanent deal but the South American admits he would like to stay with Rovers on a long term basis.
“Maybe we can do something permanently. Blackburn’s always been home to me, they’ve treated me very well,” he said.
Manager Steve Kean believes Santa Cruz will take his team to a new level.
“It is about quality – he is fantastic on the ground, has a great touch and obviously his aerial ability has never been in question,” Kean said.
“His overall stature and class is something that can raise the bar for everyone here. This is coming back to somewhere that is special and I am sure he is going to deliver just as good, if not better this time around.”



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EPL News - SATURDAY 15TH JANUARY

SATURDAY 15TH JANUARY
Chelsea v Blackburn
Chelsea showed a little more of what they are capable of in the 7-0 demolition of Championship Ipswich in the FA Cup last week. However, they are still in one of their worst runs of form in the league for many years. One win in nine has seen them slip out of the top four and they desperately need a win in this one.
Blackburn have beaten Liverpool and QPR in their last two outings but I still expect them to struggle, even with the arrival of their old boy Roque Santa Cruz. I think they might give Chelsea the win they need.
Soccernews prediction: 2-0
Manchester City v Wolves
Second placed City will want to get back to winning ways after they were unimpressive in a 2-2 draw at Championship Leicester last week. They have been boosted by the arrival of Edin Dzeko and their league form has been good.
Wolves have worked their way out of the drop zone following wins against Liverpool and Chelsea, but I will be amazed if they manage to get anything out this game.
Soccernews prediction: 3-0
Stoke v Bolton
Stoke are having an up and down season but look pretty good for a mid table finish. They did OK at Old Trafford last time out in the league, despite losing the game 2-1. On the basis that they seem to win and lose alternate games they should be OK today.
Bolton were flying but have won only one of their last five. Despite that they are still sitting pretty in seventh place. In the past they would have tried to match Stoke’s strength, directness and power but now they will try to out play them. I think they might not manage it.
Soccernews prediction: 1-0
West Brom v Blackpool
Two promoted teams who are currently experiencing differing fortunes.
Blackpool continue to surprise and amaze and their 2-1 win over Liverpool in midweek lifted them to ninth place in a run of just two defeats in eight games.
West Brom have slipped down the table to be just one point clear of the drop zone. They are on a horrible run of six straight defeats. Blackpool will give them chances but will they have the confidence to take them?
Soccernews prediction: 0-2
West Ham v Arsenal
A London derby between teams at opposite ends of the table.
West Ham are still bottom but have shown signs of improvement. Wins in both the Carling Cup and FA Cup have been added to a run of only one defeat in their last five league games.
Arsenal had a horror show at Ipswich in the week and were not a lot better against Leeds last weekend. Despite that, they have only lost one league game in their last eight and that was at Old Trafford. You have to think that they will extend their good run today.
Soccernews prediction: 0-2
Wigan v Fulham
The home side are second from bottom and the away side are just a point better off. Both sides are well and truly in a relegation struggle and know that three points from this game will be a massive boost.
Wigan have only won one of their last eight league games and at times, have looked like a very poor side.
Fulham had a six goal win in the cup last week and have won two of their last three league games as well, so they may be about to make their way up the table. I think that upward trend will continue today.
Soccernews prediction: 0-1
SUNDAY 16TH JANUARY
Birmingham v Aston Villa
This must be the first time in a long while that Birmingham have gone into a local derby against Villa being the team higher in the league. Having said that, they are only a point better off and both of them are immersed in a relegation battle.
Birmingham are in decent form and Villa aren’t. I think those facts may well continue after this game.
Soccernews prediction: 2-1
Liverpool v Everton
Nobody needs to be told what a big game this is, particularly Kenny Dalglish. His tenure started with defeat at Old Trafford which was acceptable and then defeat at Blackpool which was less so. A win against the old enemy and things will be up and running whereas a defeat, and things will start to look a little desperate.
Everton are drawing a lot of games but have only been beaten once in seven. They will see this as a massive opportunity to make life difficult for their neighbours. I think they might.
Soccernews prediction: 0-1
Sunderland v Newcastle
When the sides met in the Tyne and Weir derby a few weeks ago, Newcastle humiliated their local rivals, winning the game 5-1. Sunderland will be desperate to redress the balance.
Things are going incredibly well for Sunderland at the moment despite being knocked out of the FA Cup last week. They are a remarkable sixth in the table and have won five of their last seven league games.
Newcastle are just two places below Sunderland and also suffered an embarrassing FA Cup defeat. In the league however, they have won three of their last five and are looking good.
I’m going to sit on the fence for this one.
Soccernews prediction: 1-1
Tottenham v Manchester United
Fourth plays first in what should be an exciting and entertaining game. Quite often when the top teams play against each other they cancel each other out and the game is disappointing. I don’t think that will happen here as both teams will be looking to win the game.
Tottenham are on the crest of a wave and are playing well. Manchester United are top and unbeaten. Either something has got to give or it will be a draw. I’m going for that.
Soccernews prediction: 1-1

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MVP Race NBA

Race for being MVP:

1. Amar'e Stoudemire, Knicks (22-16)
2. LeBron James, Heat (30-11)
3. Derrick Rose, Bulls (25-13)
4. Kobe Bryant, Lakers (29-11)
5. Dwight Howard, Magic (25-14)
6. Dwyane Wade, Heat (30-11)
7. Kevin Durant, Thunder (27-13)
8. Dirk Nowitzki, Mavericks (26-11)
9. Manu Ginobili, Spurs (33-6)
10. Rajon Rondo, Celtics (29-9)

The first 5 Players really serious of being the MVP this season....

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Horse Racing Specials

3.25.1.Horse Racing specials will be offered on certain big races, e.g. Melbourne Cup.

3.25.2.Outright

3.25.2.1.Outright betting is on the winner of a horse race. The result of a race shall be official when the “all clear”, “weighed in” or “correct weight” is declared and the “official result” is declared by the racetrack. Subsequent disqualifications or amendment to the results will not be considered for betting purposes.

3.25.2.2.Outright place betting is on horses that fill the designated places in a race. The number of places that are paid as winners will be indicated in the market title.

3.25.2.3.Scratchings/Non-runners – Whenever a horse is withdrawn from a race before or after coming under starter’s orders (or if one or more of the starting gates do not open, thus preventing a fair start) the horse shall be deemed to be a non-runner/scratched and the money wagered on that horse will be refunded.

3.25.2.4.If a “Dead Heat” is declared in any outright market then half the stake is applied to the selection at full odds and the other half of the stake is lost. If more than two horses “Dead Heat” then the stakes are proportioned accordingly.

3.25.3.Head to Head

3.25.3.1.Head to Head betting is on one horse to be better placed than another in a race. If one (or both) horse is scratched/a non-runner then all bets will be void and will be refunded. If the two horses should Dead Heat then all bets will be void. 

 

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Horse Race in 12Bet

3.26. Horse Racing Rules

3.26.1.General

3.26.1.1.Scratchings/Non-runners–Whenever a horse is withdrawn from a race before or after coming under starter's orders (or if one or more of the starting gates do not open, thus preventing a fair start) the horse shall be deemed to be a non-runner/scratched and the money wagered on that horse will be refunded.

3.26.1.2.Minimum Guaranteed Dividends–There is a minimum guaranteed dividend, for all bet types, equal to the unit of wager.

3.26.1.3.Late Bets–If a bet is accepted in error, after a race has started then that bet will be declared void and will be refunded.

3.26.1.4.Objections–Whenever an objection against the result of a race has been lodged, any payments shall be made in accordance with the decisions of the race meeting Officials or Stewards.

3.26.1.5.Official Results–The result of a race shall be official when the "all clear" or "weighed in"is declared by the racetrack and the "official result" is declared by the operator.

3.26.1.6.Payment of Dividends – Payment shall commence as soon as possible after each race has been decided, results confirmed and declared "official".

3.26.1.7.The Company reserves the right at its sole and absolute discretion without the need for explanation or prior notice given to the Customer to refuse or reject any bet, even if the bet is made before the event starts or is within the betting limit (e.g. min/max bet, max bet per match).

3.26.1.8.This clause specifically applies to horseracing only, unless otherwise stated. Valid bets accepted will not be considered as void in case there is a conflict in the writing of the horse names. For any race or meeting, if there is a discrepancy between the horse name and the horse number, or should at anytime the names be stated incorrectly or wrongfully stated in reverse, in all circumstance it shall be resolved that the horse number indicated during the race while running will prevail. To resolve this discrepancy, the result of a race shall be determined based on the horse number.

3.26.1.9.Horse names and number. In case the horse name and horse number are translated into any other language, the English version will prevail.

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BONUSES!!!

12Bet is now offering variety of bonuses...

you may all refer with the link below:

For Asian here are the link :
http://promotion.39912993.com/PromotionPage.aspx?Fname=201101_12B33&lng=en

For Euro here are the Link:
http://promotion.39912993.com/PromotionPage.aspx?Fname=201101_ONE228&lng=en_eu

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Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker

Pai Gow Poker is a combination of Poker and an ancient Chinese game Pai Gow. If you are not familiar with Pai Gow Rules, read them here.

Pai Gow Poker Rules

In Pai Gow Poker, the object is to divide your seven card hand into a five-card ("Highest") and a two-card hand ("2nd Highest"). The five-card hand must always outrank the two-card hand (hence the names "Highest" and "2nd Highest"). The five-card hand is ranked as in Poker, except that an A-2-3-4-5 straight is the second highest straight. The two-card hand can be either a pair or individual cards. The highest two-card hand is a pair of aces and the lowest is a 2-3. You can divide your hand yourself, or let the computer split it, using a method called the House Way (see below).

Pai Gow Poker is played using a standard 53 card deck, including a Joker. The joker can only be used to complete a straight, flush, or straight flush, otherwise it is treated as an ace.

House Way

The House Way is a set of rules that describes how the dealer arranges his hand. You can use the House Way on your own hand as well, by clicking the House Way button.

The "front" refers to the two card hand and the "back" refers to the five card hand.

• No pair: Place the highest card in the back and the next two highest cards in the front.

• One pair: Place the pair in back and the next two highest cards in the front.

• Two pair: Play two pair in back, except split in the following situations:

  • One pair is 7's or greater and no ace singleton

  • Pair of jacks or better and 6's or better and an ace singleton.

  • Pair of aces and any other pair.

• Three pair: Always play highest pair in front.

• Three of a kind: Always play three of a kind in back except break up three aces.

• Full house: Split except with pair of 2's and an ace/king can be played in front.

• Full house with three of a kind and two pairs: Play the highest pair in front.

• Three of a kind twice: Always play highest pair in front.

• Straights, flushes, straight flushes, and royal flushes:

Always play straight or flush in the high hand except play as a two pair if one of the following:

• Any two pair and an ace singleton.

• Pair of jacks and pair of 6's.

• Pair of aces and any other pair.

With a six or seven card straight or flush put the highest hand possible in front while maintaining the straight or flush in back.

Play straight or flush over straight flush to improve front hand to jack or better.

Play straight or flush over royal flush to improve front hand to king or better.

• Four of a kind: Play according to the rank of the four of a kind:

  • 2 through 6: Always keep together.

  • 7 through 10: Split unless an ace or better can be played in front.

  • Jack through king: Split unless hand also contains a pair of 10's or higher.

  • Aces: Split unless a pair of 7's or higher can be played in front.

• Five aces: Split unless pair of kings can be played in front.

After the hands have been arranged, your hands are compared to these of the dealer's and the winner is determined:

• If both the dealer's hands are higher, you lose your bet.

• If one of the dealer's hands is higher, one lower, it is a push and your bet is returned.

• If both your hands are higher, you win even money on your bet (1 to 1) minus 5% bank commission.

In case of an exact match between hands (called a copy) the tie goes to the banker.

Player receives seven cards, which he/she splits into two hands – a five card hand and a two card hand. The object is to beat the dealer.

• First, place a bet by selecting a chip and clicking on the Bet area in the middle of the table. Place multiple chips if you want. To remove a chip from the bet field, right click on it.

• Click on Deal.

• You receive seven cards. Leave five of them in the "Highest" hand and select two that go to the "2nd Highest" hand. To send a card to the "2nd Highest" hand, just click on it. To send it back to the "Highest" hand, click on it again. The five-card hand (or the "Highest") must always outrank the two-card hand (or the "2nd Highest"). You can also click the House Way button to let the computer select your hands in a certain manner (see the Rules for more info).

• Click on Done (if you did not press House Way).

• The dealer's cards are revealed. If both the dealer's hands are higher than yours, you lose your bet. If one of you hands is higher and the other is lower, the round results as a push and your bet is returned. If both your hands are higher, you win even money on your bet (1 to 1) minus 5% bank commission. In case of an exact match between hands (called a copy) the tie goes to the banker.

• Click on New Game if you want to play another round. Place a bet again as described above, or click on the Re bet button to place the same bet as in the previous round.

Buttons

Deal	After you have placed your bet, press this to deal the cards.
Clear Bets	Clear the bet you have placed.
Done	After choosing the two cards for the 2nd highest hand, click this button to proceed.
House Way	Let the computer put together your highest and 2nd highest hand in the most efficient manner.
New Game	Start a new game round.
Re bet	Place the same bet as in the last game round and deal the cards as well.

The lower edge of the game window holds the casino toolbar. It contains the following:

• Current balance

  Your account balance. This is the money you can use to play the casino games.

• Cashier

  Clicking this button opens the Cashier window, where you can make deposits and withdrawals, see your transaction history, etc.

• Play for Real Money

  This button appears only in Fun or Offline Mode. Clicking it will take you to the Real Money account creation page. If you already have a Real Money account, it will take you to the Play for Real Money login screen.

• Chat

  Clicking this button will activate the black strip to the left of it, turning it into a text box. Enter a message and click Chat again. A separate chat window will open. Please note: You can only talk to other players in multiplayer games.

• Menu

  Three popular functions are united under the Menu. Clicking History (unavailable in Offline mode) will open the game history window, where you can see the details of recent game rounds.

  Options allow you to change audio quality and various game play settings, and Help opens the help article that you are reading right now.

  Online Support lets you contact a customer support specialist, if one is online.

• Close/Lobby

  Clicking this button closes the game window and takes you back to the Lobby. If you have Multi window support enabled (games are opened in new windows), the button will say Close. If Multi window support is disabled (games are opened in the same window as the Lobby), the button will say Lobby. You can enable or disable this feature in the Options window.

Shortcut keys

If you wish, you can press the following keys on your keyboard instead of clicking on the buttons on the screen.

Press this key	To do this
TAB	Tab between the buttons on the screen.
ENTER	Click the button that is currently highlighted.
SPACEBAR	Start a new game round, press again to re bet as well.
Number keys	Raise your bet. Different number keys rise by different amount. The number of functioning keys depends on the chips allowed for the current player and can be subject to change.
ESC	Exit the game and go back to the lobby.

Note on large wins: Winning amounts of $10,000 or more are considered large wins. Large wins need to be verified by a live operator.

Note on malfunctions: A malfunction voids all pays and plays.

Note on disconnections: If you are disconnected from the Internet in the middle of a game while playing for Real Money, please re-establish your Internet connection and log back into the casino. You will be automatically directed to the game that was interrupted so you can continue playing.

In the event that there is no auto play and your game has been interrupted, cut off, cancelled or stopped due to power failure, mechanical malfunction of your computer or equipment, or loss of network connection or telecommunication, you have twenty-four (24) hours [or forty-eight (48) hours] counted from the nearest 12:00 noon when your game was stopped to reconnect, log in and resume. Any unfinished game will be deleted and removed from the system and any funds remaining shall be settled (credited or debited) into your account.

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