Nash sits out another one, Diaw out too

Basketball Betting Lines

02/11/2007 -

PHOENIX (AP) -Steve Nash missed his third consecutive game on Sunday because of lingering soreness in his right shoulder.

Joining Nash in street clothes for the game against the Chicago Bulls was fellow Phoenix Suns starter Boris Diaw, out with back spasms.

In all, Nash has missed 3 1/2 games because of inflammation that flared up in the shoulder. The Suns beat Denver when Nash sat out the second half, then won at Portland in overtime. However, the Nash-less Suns played their worst game of the season in a 120-111 home loss to Atlanta on Friday night.

The Suns have one more game before the All-Star break, Wednesday at Seattle. Nash might play, coach Mike D'Antoni said.

``I hope so,'' D'Antoni said before the Bulls game. ``It's hard for me to say. I thought he'd play today.''

Overall, Phoenix is 4-10 in games without Nash since he came to the Suns three seasons aago. This year, they are 2-2.

Diaw was obviously impaired in the loss at Atlanta.

``He shouldn't have played,'' D'Antoni said. ``He's just got a little spasm there.''

The Bulls were without forward P.J. Brown, also because of back spasms. Rookie Tyrus Thomas started in his place.

Copyright © 2005 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. The information contained in the AP News report may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed without the prior written authority of The Associated Press.

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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.