Playoff-bound Cavs make a stop in south Philly

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03/12/2010 - (Sportsbook Betting Lines) - A large lead atop the Central Division and playoff berth already sewed up has allowed the Cleveland Cavaliers to give LeBron James some rest for the stretch run. The reigning NBA MVP is expected to return from his two-game respite tonight, when the Cavs head to Philadelphia's Wachovia Center to take on the struggling 76ers.

James sat out Cleveland's game at Milwaukee on Saturday as well as Monday's home matchup with San Antonio due to a mildly sprained right ankle. Although the team could have used the superstar in its 92-85 loss to the red-hot Bucks, the Cavaliers were able to come through with a 97-95 decision over the Spurs and become the league's first club to 50 wins this season.

Mo Williams helped offset James' absence with a 17-point, eight-rebound, eight-assist effort, while Antawn Jamison also scored 17 points before exiting in the third quarter with a stiff left knee.

"It got to the point where it wasn't painful, but I couldn't get into the motion I needed in order to push off the way I need to," Jamison said. "I could have played through it if it was that type of game, but [I] needed to take precautions and begin to rehab it."

The Cavaliers, already without center Shaquille O'Neal for likely the remainder of the regular season because of a fractured right thumb, have termed Jamison a game-time decision for Friday.

Cleveland may not need its full complement of players to get past a Sixers squad that suffered its seventh loss in eight games with Wednesday's 102-87 setback to Charlotte at the Wachovia Center. The defeat dropped Philadelphia to 23-41 for the 2009-10 campaign and furthered speculation that head coach Eddie Jordan could be let go at season's end.

Rodney Carney scored 14 points and both Jrue Holiday and Andre Iguodala each netted 13 for the Sixers, who trailed 62-44 at intermission and by as many as 29 points in the second half.

"I have no problem with our effort," said Jordan, the subject of a Philadelphia Inquirer report earlier in the day that stated the 76ers will likely fire the former Sacramento and Washington sideline boss after just one season. "We played hard for 48 minutes. We couldn't take away [the Bobcats'] strengths [Wednesday]. They got to the basket, got fouls and got to the free throw line."

Philadelphia will be seeking only its second win in its last nine matchups with the Cavs, who have taken the previous two meetings between the teams this season and handed the Sixers a 108-101 loss at the Wachovia Center on December 16. The victory was Cleveland's sixth in a row in the City of Brotherly Love.

The Cavaliers currently own a 4 1/2-game lead on Orlando for first place in the Eastern Conference and are 15 games ahead of Milwaukee for the top spot in the Central Division.

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Huskers' Lucky hospitalized for undisclosed reason

LINCOLN, Neb. -- Nebraska running back Marlon Lucky was hospitalized Monday for undisclosed reasons after Lincoln police responded to a call at his residence.

The Nebraska athletic department said in a release Monday that Lucky was admitted Sunday night.

MySportsbook.com has the Cornhuskers listed at +2500 to win the BCS National Championship odds.

A nursing supervisor at the hospital said all questions about Lucky were being referred to the athletic department. The athletic department said there would be no further comment from the department or Lucky's family.

A Lincoln Police spokesman said officers responded to a call at Lucky's residence 11:30 p.m. Sunday. The spokesman said he didn't know Lucky's condition at the time he was taken to the hospital.

Lucky, from North Hollywood, Calif., started six games last season as a sophomore and was the team's second-leading rusher, with 728 yards and six touchdowns. He also caught 32 passes for 383 yards. He averaged 19.1 yards on eight kickoff returns.

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