Political Infomercial

The NBA regular season was rather lackluster. TV ratings were mediocre at best and there was a legitimate absence of compelling story lines to draw casual fans into the fray. And frankly, the condensed, lockout shortened season left a lot to be desired from a visual perspective there was no shortage of ugly basketball games between Christmas and the last week of April.

But the opening weekend of the playoffs was an absolute masterpiece of compelling story lines and intense basketball. All eight Game 1s gave us something to think about, write about and consider as playoff action heats up this week.

The weekend started with a blowout as Chicago thrashed Philly, leading by 20 in the fourth quarter before a late Sixers rally cut the final margin of victory to 12. The Bulls simply overwhelmed the 76ers for most of the game, dominating the low post defensively while breaking down Philadelphias defense, creating high percentage shot attempts on the other end of the floor. But the entire complexion of the series and the playoffs as a whole changed rather dramatically late in the fourth when Chicagos star point guard Derrick Rose went down with a season ending ACL injury.

When the star player on a team that was expected to challenge for a title goes down with a season ending injury in the very first game of the playoffs, its obviously a headline maker, and one that merits some discussion. My email box filled up within hours of the Rose injury inquiring minds wanted to know how many points Rose was worth to the pointspread and whether the Bulls had any chance of playoff success without him.

Lets not forget that the Bulls were 18-9 SU without Rose during the regular season, earning the best record in the NBA despite their projected starting five being available for just 15 of their 66 regular season games. Both CJ Watson and John Lucas have filled in effectively for Rose throughout this injury plagued season. Chicagos greatest strength their defensive mindset doesnt take a major hit without Rose on the floor. Their first round opponent, Philadelphia, has struggled all season long creating offense against the better teams that theyve faced.

Initially, we saw about a three point power rating adjustment from the betting markets for Roses injury, with the Bulls closing -8.5 in Game 1 and opening -5.5 in Game 2. The early money has come on the favorite bettors think that Chicago will be just fine without their best player, at least initially. But when we look down the road at a potential second round series against Boston or Atlanta, and a potential Eastern Conference Finals rematch against Miami, Roses injury is likely to have an enormous impact hes the one guy on Chicagos roster that can break down opponents off the dribble, creating scoring opportunities for himself and his teammates. Against the stellar defenses that await them down the road, his absence is probably insurmountable.

The Heat-Knicks Game 1 battle wasnt particularly entertaining. With less than seven minutes remaining in the second quarter, the Knicks trailed by one, 30-29. By halftime, they were down 54-31 and they trailed by 30+ for most of the second half; suffering a complete breakdown on both ends of the court. Carmelo Anthony couldnt get untracked against Miamis stout defense, shooting just 3-15 from the floor. Amare Stoudemire was a non-factor, just nine points and five boards. Tyson Chandler had a nasty case of the flu; Baron Davis was forced to the bench with a balky back and the Knicks 24 turnovers led to numerous fast break buckets the other way.

The Game 1 blowout loss was certainly an ugly one for a Knicks team that is one defeat away from matching the all-time NBA playoff losing streak of 12 in a row. But the bigger blow might well be the injury loss of guard Iman Shumpert; the Knicks premier perimeter defender throughout the course of his rookie season. Shumpert is absolutely irreplaceable for New York this is every bit the impact injury that Roses ACL is. Any chance of a first round series upset probably ended with Shumpert crumpled on the floor. Without their defensive stopper, Dwayne Wade is poised to take control of the series. Even a hot shooting game (or two) from lsquo;Melo, JR Smith or any of the other key Knicks scorers is not likely to make up for the loss on the defensive end of the court.

Orlando entered the postseason in the midst of a 5-11 SU run to close out the regular season. Three of those five wins came against lottery teams (Charlotte, Detroit and Cleveland); while the other two came against Philly when the Sixers were in the midst of a nasty slump of their own. They were playing without their lone all-star, center Dwight Howard, out for the series with a bulging disk in his back. No team had lower expectations from the general public or the media as Indiana was bet up to as high as -1500 to win the series prior to Game 1. Indiana, a team that hadnt won a playoff series since a first round win over Boston back in 2005, was suddenly the second biggest Round 1 favorite on the board, behind only San Antonio.

So what happened? The dead Magic sprung back to life with a Game 1 victory sparked by hot three-point shooting and a tremendous defensive effort. But more than anything, the Pacers choked this one away, held scoreless over the final four minutes as Orlando closed the game on an 11-0 run. Stan Van Gundys Magic are the NBAs best soap opera and they certainly showed they wont go down without a fight.

Saturday nights finale was the best of the bunch, delivering a thrilling buzzer beater from Kevin Durant to win the game. Dallas played about as well as they could play on Saturday. Dirk Nowitzki was nearly unstoppable down the stretch, hitting big shots and free throws galore throughout the second half. Jason Terry was on fire from three point range. So was Shaun Marion. Vince Carter had a huge game off the bench. The Mavs won the rebounding battle on both ends of the court. They got to the free throw line more than OKC and made their free throws at an 80% clip once they got there. The Mavs played stifling defense on Kevin Durant. None of the Thunders role players had any impact on the offensive end of the court. And yet even with all of those advantages, the Mavericks still found a way to lose the game. Thats a bad omen moving forward for Rick Carlisles squad.

Sundays early action saw the favorites win and cover all three games. San Antonio was the only team favored by double digits in Game 1, and they proved worthy of the task at hand. Tony Parker carved up Utahs interior defense for 28 points and eight assists, while role players Stephen Jackson and Matt Bonner both got hot from three point range. Utah got solid performances from their stellar low post trio of Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap and Derrick Favors, but the rest of the team combined to shoot just 13-41 from the floor in the 15 point loss.

The Lakers comfortable 15 point win over Denver featured the emergence of center Andrew Bynum as a legitimate superstar not a tradeable asset, as hes been considered in recent seasons. Bynum was the difference maker throughout, tying an NBA playoff record with ten blocks in a triple double performance. Denver was forced to play at LAs preferred slower pace, and they couldnt generate any consistent offense out of their half court sets against the Lakers stifling lsquo;D.

Atlanta seems to get overlooked at this time of the year every season, but the Hawks proved they are no pushovers with a dominant Game 1 defensive showing against Boston. The Celtics went 0-fer the game from three point range. They got only four combined points off their bench. Paul Pierce was outplayed by underrated Hawks star Josh Smith. And Boston faces the probable suspension of their point guard, Rajon Rondo, following an ugly altercation with an official in the fourth quarter, leaving them potentially short-handed as the series continues.

The final game of the weekend might have been the best. The Grizzlies were in complete control of their game against the Clippers from the opening tip. Their shooters were on fire, with OJ Mayo and Mike Conley combining to hit 9-11 from beyond the arc. Zack Randolph, Marc Gasol and Marreese Speights were controlling the paint, forcing the Clippers to rely on perimeter jumpers for the bulk of their offense. Memphis led by 18 after one quarter, and the Clips never made any sort of a serious run, trailing 95-71 with eight minutes left in the fourth quarter. Then all hell broke loose.

The Clippers proceeded to go on a mind boggling 28-3 run to close out the game. Reggie Evans started gobbling up rebounds on both ends of the floor. Kenyon Martin shut down Randolph on the defensive end. Nick Young hit back-to-back-to-back three pointers. Blake Griffin hit clutch free throws, a rarity for the 52% shooter from the charity stripe. And Chris Paul made all the right moves with the ball in his hands during crunch time, just as hes done all year. For a team with three starters playing their first ever playoff game; a team that lost a fourth starter, Caron Butler, to a broken left hand; this type of come-from-behind victory can only inspire more confidence moving forward.

Duncan, 41, said she is a gambling addict, someone who cannot control the urge to place high-stakes bets with the hopes of winning big. That kind of excitement can create an alternate reality that bears no resemblance to a person#x92;s real life, no thought for anything beyond the next bet.

#x93;It was exciting,#x94; Duncan said. #x93;You think, #x91;Oh, I#x92;m going to win the jackpot,#x92; and it hooks you in.#x94;

Her attorney, Greg Harris, said her gambling was simply out of control.

#x93;Her addiction was such that it was at work, it was at home,#x94; Harris said. #x93;It was at 9 in the morning, 2 in the afternoon and 4 o#x92;clock in the morning. It was all-consuming in terms of time and energy.#x94;

When Duncan pleaded guilty Wednesday in US District Court in Columbia to tax evasion and wire fraud, it closed the loop on a story that began 10 weeks ago with a missing person#x92;s report.

On Feb. 18, the family of Tom Sponseller, the Hospitality Association#x92;s chief executive officer, reported him missing to the Columbia Police Department.

It was during a 10-day search for Sponseller that an investigation into missing money at the Hospitality Association became public. US Secret Service officials said Duncan was the prime suspect in the missing money case.

Sponseller#x92;s body was discovered Feb. 28 in a storage room in the underground parking garage of the 12-story building where the association#x92;s offices are located in downtown Columbia. The Richland County coroner found that he committed suicide.

The delay in locating Sponseller was an embarrassment to the police department, and two high-ranking officers lost their jobs because of missteps in the search.

Sponseller did not receive any of the $480,944 in missing money and did not have #x93;full knowledge#x94; of the situation, said Assistant US Attorney Winston Holliday. However, Sponseller had to have had an idea that there were financial discrepancies at the association because the books had not balanced for more than a year, Holliday said.

Duncan confessed to Sponseller two days before he disappeared.

That Thursday, the two went to lunch, Duncan said. She decided to tell Sponseller about the theft as he parked his black Mercedes in its usual spot in the parking garage.

#x93;He was putting out his cigarette and I said, #x91;Before you go in, I need to talk to you,#x92;#x94; Duncan said. #x93;That#x92;s when I told him what I needed to tell him.#x94;

Duncan said Sponseller was upset but offered to help her.

Duncan finished her workday and took Friday off. She did not know her boss was missing until a co-worker called her on Sunday. She met with Columbia police about Sponseller#x92;s disappearance on Monday. She never returned to work.

#x93;I felt worried because I had no idea what had happened to him,#x94; she said.

When Sponseller#x92;s body was found, she was as baffled as anyone, she said.

#x93;I don#x92;t take blame for his missing or his death. I#x92;m just very sorry he#x92;s gone.#x94;

Before his disappearance, Sponseller penned a three-page letter found in his office desk that outlined Duncan#x92;s confession. According to Sponseller#x92;s letter, the IRS and the police department #x93;had seen significant money transfers through her personal checking account to offshore accounts.#x94;

In that final letter, Sponseller described his relationship with Duncan, saying she had become like a daughter to him. He said he would lend an ear to Duncan as she vented personal problems. She had few friends and little support at home, he wrote.

However, Holliday revealed a detail during Duncan#x92;s court hearing Wednesday that suggested she and Sponseller had a more involved relationship. Investigators discovered photos of Duncan that were of a sexual nature on Sponseller#x92;s work computer, he said.

After the hearing, Holliday said he chose to talk about the photos to close the loop in a highly publicized case. He said he repeatedly had people ask why an executive would commit suicide because of a subordinate#x92;s actions.

#x93;Hopefully at this point, it gives everyone some closure and everyone#x92;s actions are explainable to some degree,#x94; he said.

Duncan denied that she and Sponseller had a sexual relationship, and she said she did not give him the photos.

#x93;Tom and I were really close but not like they said,#x94; she said.

The gambling escalates

Duncan, who is originally from upstate New York, began working in 2001 for the Hospitality Association, a trade group that represents 2,000 South Carolina restaurants and hotels.

Her embezzlement began in 2006. That year, she took less than $10,000, Holliday said.

The amounts Duncan funneled into her personal bank accounts increased each year, and by 2010 the amount exceeded $125,000, Holliday said.

That pattern is typical in embezzlement cases, Holliday said.

#x93;As the years go by, that#x92;s when you see people get more aggressive and a little more sloppy,#x94; he said.

In half of the embezzlement cases Holliday said he has prosecuted, the people taking the money use it to fund lavish lifestyles #x96; spending it on beach homes, boats, fancy cars and expensive jewelry.

But Duncan blew her embezzled money on gambling, Holliday said.

#x93;There were no significant purchases,#x94; he said.

Duncan and her husband, James A. Duncan, live in a modest, two-story house in the town of Lexington. Expensive cars are not in the driveway. She did not wear a fine, tailored suit or flashy jewelry to court.

Public records show Duncan and her husband have had financial problems.

Rachel Duncan#x92;s past financial problems include a mortgage foreclosure filing on a home she co-owns, state tax liens and unpaid credit card debt.

In March, she and her husband paid off a $4,274 lien filed in August 2010 by the SC Department of Revenue for unpaid taxes.

#x93;I#x92;ve never been a greedy person or anything,#x94; she said. #x93;I don#x92;t have a lot.#x94;

James Duncan, 35, has not commented on his wife#x92;s criminal charges. He did not attend the hearing in which she pleaded guilty.

During the hearing, Holliday told US District Judge Joseph Anderson about a second set of photographs found on Sponseller#x92;s work computer. Those photos showed Duncan with a bruised face.

The images indicated that Sponseller was acting as a friend by documenting evidence of apparent domestic violence, Holliday said. He would not elaborate further.

Rachel Duncan would not comment on those photos or her relationship with her husband. But the Duncans have been involved in at least one domestic dispute that resulted in a simple assault conviction for James Duncan.

In August 2006, Lexington police were called to their Hayfield Lane home after James Duncan punched his wife in the face, giving her a bloody nose and black eyes, according to an incident report obtained by The State. He also jabbed her in the upper lip with his fingertips, causing a laceration and swelling, the report said.

He also smashed her cell phone on the ground, busted a doll house and an ashtray and ripped up Rachel Duncan#x92;s only picture of her and her grandmother, according to the report.

The report references 14 photos but isn#x92;t specific about what they show.

James Duncan paid a $565 fine. Attempts to reach him for this story were unsuccessful.

Rachel Duncan will appear next in court to have the judge determine her punishment. She faces a maximum of 23 years in prison and $350,000 in fines. Under federal sentencing guidelines, she is more likely to serve about two years in prison, in part because she has cooperated with law enforcement, Holliday said.

In the meantime, Duncan is receiving therapy for her gambling problem. She is looking for a job but finding it hard to convince someone to hire her. She twice has been turned away from manual labor jobs after people realized who she is, Harris said.

She was turned down for unemployment benefits.

Duncan is unsure how she will pay restitution if ordered to by a judge; her future employment options will be limited with her conviction. She is reluctant to discuss a possible prison sentence.

When asked about jail time last week, Duncan hesitated. That#x92;s when Harris, her defense attorney, stepped in and told his client that she need to face reality.

#x93;Rachel, you are going to jail,#x94; Harris said. #x93;You need to start saying it to people. You are going to jail.#x94;

She nodded and responded, #x93;Of course, I don#x92;t want to go.#x94;

SPORTS betting is the fastest-growing way to gamble in Australia - rising almost 15 per cent over the past five years - and is the only form of gambling other than casinos that has been increasing in popularity.

New research released yesterday by business information analysts IBISWorld reveals that young, single professionals with significant disposable incomes were largely responsible for the boom in sports betting.

IBISWorld general manager Karen Dobie said that sports betting made up only 1.6 per cent of total gaming revenue, but it was growing annually at a rate much higher than poker machines, racing and lotteries.

Sports betting is certainly the industrys star performer, with market shares either stagnating or in decline across all other segments. The only other exception to this decline is gambling in casinos, which has increased to 20 per cent of gambling expenditure over the past three years, Ms Dobie said.

The research forecasts that the countrys total gambling expenditure will rise 3.3 per cent in 2011-12, reaching a total of $22.5 billion and an average of $1265 a person.

Sally Gainsbury, from the centre for gambling, education and research at Southern Cross University, said betting was now synonymous with sport, and a rise in smartphones meant people could place a bet anywhere.

Theres been so much marketing it has allowed online gambling companies to really target sporting events and sporting fans. So now on TV when you see someone score a try in the corner of a field, theres a Centrebet post that they are knocking over, she said.

The research showed NSW contributed to the largest proportion of gambling expenditure at 38 per cent.

Poker machines account for the highest proportion of gambling expenditure in every state except Western Australia and the Northern Territory.