Fahrenheit 140: Suns burn bright behind Barbosa's career night

Basketball Betting Lines

02/20/2009 - Phoenix, AZ (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - Leandro Barbosa scored a career-high 41 points and the Phoenix Suns, despite being without All-Star forward Amare Stoudemire for at least the next two months, pulled off a rare offensive feat with a 140-118 blowout of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Stoudemire underwent successful eye surgery on Friday to repair a partially detached retina and he's expected to be out for about eight weeks. But that didn't stop the Suns from scoring at least 140 points for a third straight game, the first time that's happened in the league since the Portland Trail Blazers pulled off the feat, November 13-17, 1990.

Phoenix's run also includes two wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, 140-100 on Tuesday and 142-119 the following night.

The latest road to 140 wasn't secured until Barbosa hit a jump shot with 20.7 seconds remaining.

Jason Richardson had 34 points for the Suns, who beat the Thunder franchise for the eighth straight time. The win also allowed interim head man Alvin Gentry to become just the second coach in Suns history to begin his tenure 3-0 joining Scott Skiles, who began his career in Phoenix a franchise-record 4-0.

Shaquille O'Neal ended with 22 points and nine boards as the Suns equaled a season-high with their third straight win. Steve Nash contributed 13 points and eight assists.

It's not likely the Suns will score at least 140 in four straight games since they host the Boston Celtics on Sunday afternoon.

Kevin Durant had 35 points and eight rebounds to pace the Thunder, who have lost four in a row and seven of nine.

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MySportsbook.com and Kentucky Derby Offer Bonuses
The 2008 Kentucky Derby has announced a $1-million bonus for this weekend’s 134th ‘Run for the Roses’ and MySportsbook.com is doing the same.

Well, not quite $1 million, but MySportsbook.com is offering a 75% rebate for Kentucky Derby lines. Check out the exclusive horse racing bonus for all the details.

According to MySportsbook.com, the favorites for Saturday’s Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky are: Curlin (+250); Street Sense (+500); Scat Daddy (+700); Circular Quay (+750); and Nobiz Like Shobiz (+800).

Derby organizers announced this week that there will be a $1-million bonus at the 2007 Kentucky Derby odds if the first-place horse wins by more than 6 1/2 lengths – the margin of Barbaro's victory last year. The bonus would be divided Saturday among the winning trainer, jockey, owner and a charity, with each receiving 25 percent. The designated charity is the Barbaro Memorial Fund.

''It's certainly creative, it's certainly fun and it has something for the horsemen, which we always want to embrace,'' Churchill Downs president and chief executive Robert Evans said at a news conference. ''What's really cool is it will force us to remember Barbaro.''
    
Meanwhile, the Derby favorite – Curlin – is going against the odds this year. It's been 125 years since Apollo won after skipping his 2-year-old season, and not since Regret in 1915 has such a lightly seasoned horse worn the blanket of red roses.

Arkansas Derby winner Curlin – unbeaten in three career races – tries to overcome both those obstacles in Saturday's 133rd Derby.

''We're not running against history,'' trainer Steve Asmussen said Monday. ''We're running against who they load up.''

Six other horses have run in the Derby without benefit of 2-year-old races and with three or fewer starts. The best any of them managed was a sixth-place finish by Showing Up last year.
   
Asmussen dismissed suggestions that Curlin's lack of racing experience could keep him from the winner's circle.

”He exudes confidence and he's got a great presence about him,'' the trainer said. ''I feel great about the position we're in. He's not worried about anything, why should you be?''
   
The Kentucky Derby is at 4:04 p.m., ET Saturday.

For complete odds on the Kentucky Derby, visit MySportsbook.com. Mysportsbook.com online sportsbook accepts Visa and Mastercard credit cards.