Little Nate highlights NBA All-Star festivities

Basketball Betting Lines

02/16/2007 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - New York Knicks guard Nate Robinson will have another chance to defy gravity when he opens defense of his Slam Dunk title Saturday night during the NBA All-Star Game festivities.

Robinson will join Boston's Gerald Green, Orlando's Dwight Howard and Chicago's Tyrus Thomas on NBA All-Star Saturday Night at the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas on February 17. The 5-9 Robinson topped Philly's Andre Iguodala in a dunk-off last year with an attempt assisted by former champion Spud Webb on a bounce pass.

Even though Robinson needed a few tries to top Iguodala, he joined Webb as the only players six feet and under to capture a dunk title. Webb was crowned champion back in 1986.

Robinson will now try to become the first back-to-back dunk champion since Golden State's Jason Richardson turned the trick in 2002 and 2003. Robinson, Green, Howard and Thomas will be judged by former dunk champs and a few Hall of Famers in Michael Jordan, Dominique Wilkins, Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter and Julius Erving.

Saturday night's festivities will also feature the Three-Point Shootout, Skills Challenge, Shooting Stars contest, Rookie Challenge and Celebrity Game.

Dallas Mavericks forward Dirk Nowitzki will try to defend his three-point title when he goes against Washington's Gilbert Arenas, Miami's Damon Jones and Jason Kapono, Memphis' Mike Miller and teammate Jason Terry. Nowitzki shot down Arenas and Seattle's Ray Allen in Houston last year.

Miami Heat guard Dwyane Wade shoots for his second straight Skills Challenge title on Saturday. Wade defeated Cleveland superstar LeBron James last year after completing the obstacle course in 26.1 seconds. James finished with a 33.7-second time. Bryant, James and Phoenix guard Steve Nash are the other competitors, but Nash will miss the contest due to a shoulder injury. Hornets guard Chris Paul will take Nash's place in the Skills Challenge.

In the Shooting Stars contest, San Antonio will defend its title after beating out Los Angeles, Phoenix and Houston last year. Each team is comprised of a current NBA player, a former NBA star and a current WNBA player from the city.

The Rookie Challenge will feature NBA rookies versus second-year players in Las Vegas. Raptors rookie Andrea Bargnani will head a list of first- year players, including Jordan Farmar from the Lakers, Minnesota's Randy Foye, teammate Jorge Garbajosa, Memphis' Rudy Gay, Utah's Paul Millsap, Charlotte's Adam Morrison, Portland's Brandon Roy and New Jersey's Marcus Williams.

The Sophomore squad will be comprised of the Lakers' Andrew Bynum, Golden State's Monta Ellis, Charlotte's Raymond Felton, Indiana's Danny Granger, Houston's Luther Head, New York's David Lee, the Hornets' Paul and Utah's Deron Williams.

Iguodala posted 30 points as the Sophomores topped the Rookies, 106-96, last year at the Toyota Center in Houston.

Also on Friday, the NBA All-Star Celebrity Game will take place in Las Vegas. The East team will have stars David Arquette, Taye Diggs, Carrot Top, Nelly and others, while the West squad will roll out the likes of Jamie Foxx, Jamie Kennedy, Reggie Bush and Tamika Catchings.

The NBA Developmental League will also have an All-Star Game early Saturday on Center Court at the Mandalay Bay Resort and Casino.

On Sunday, the 56th NBA All-Star Game will close out the weekend extravaganza.

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Big 12 Conference betting odds

Work left to do: Texas Tech, Oklahoma State, Kansas State

Texas joins Texas A&M and Kansas as locks after getting league win No. 11. Texas Tech greatly helped its own hopes and crippled OK State's with the two-point win Saturday. Is K-State the last reasonable hopeful? Could be an elimination match in Stillwater on Tuesday, at least for the Cowboys.

Work left to do:

Texas Tech [18-11 (7-7), RPI: 44, SOS: 12] A critical two-point win over OK State leaves the Red Raiders with Baylor and at Iowa State left. Get both and the Red Raiders likely are good to go. Get one and there could be some interesting comparisons with a K-State team that could finish two or three games "ahead" of them in the standings but doesn't have any of the quality wins Texas Tech has. Not a lot in nonconference play (against Arkansas in Little Rock being the best win, by far) to lean on.

Oklahoma State [18-9 (5-8), RPI: 50, SOS: 35] Still without a road win, the Cowboys now need to win two on the road just to get to .500 in conference play. It's hard to recall a team (OK, other than Clemson) falling so precipitously from lock status to almost certainly out of the NCAAs at this point. There are wins to be had in the last three, including a very big home game against K-State on Tuesday, but this team is reeling. Can you tell the pressure to win is getting to them with the way the final possession played out at Texas Tech? There are some good nonconference performances to lean on, specifically beating Missouri State and Syracuse on neutral floors and Pitt in OK City, but if the Pokes don't right this very, very soon, that won't be enough.

Kansas State [20-9 (9-5), RPI: 56, SOS: 96] It pays to be in the Big 12 North. The nine league wins are Colorado (twice), Missouri (twice), Iowa State (twice), Baylor, Nebraska and (a good one against) Texas. That helps explain the middling computer profile. The win over USC is nice, but the nonconference leaves a lot to be desired. The game at OK State in Stillwater on Tuesday is huge, as it could KO the Cowboys and leave K-State with a home date against Oklahoma with which to work.