Butler, for three! Short, and the Celtics win it!
Let’s stop criticizing the shot selection for a second and understand, that everyone in the building thought it was going in.
Regardless, Butler came up short on the shot and the Heat were just a few inches away from the most ridiculous comeback in NBA playoff history. In Miami, that shot had the same feel that Ray Allen’s shot did in Game 6 of the 2013 NBA Finals against the San Antonio Spurs.
The Celtics move past their second seven-game series and prepare to face off against the Warriors starting Thursday with Game 1 in the Oracle Arena (9 p.m. EST on ABC).
Also read: Five NBA Finals storylines
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Warriors vs. Celtics NBA Finals series odds
At the time of writing, Caesars Sportsbook has the NBA Finals odds as the Celtics +130 underdogs and the Warriors -160 favorites.
Warriors vs. Celtics NBA Finals series preview
This is the toughest opponent the Warriors will have played in the playoffs. The Nuggets were mostly uncompetitive, the Grizzlies were missing Ja Morant, and the Mavericks just weren’t there yet.
The Celtics are battle-tested, and a strong road team. The Warriors will need to show up every game.
Celtics strengths
- Rebounding, defense, physicality
It would be nice to have Robert Williams playing, their most important player in those areas. Even without him, the Celtics have the physicality and bigs to give the Warriors issues.
Celtics weaknesses
- Isolation heavy offense, less rest, less shooting
A potential issue for the Celtics is their dependency on isolation baskets on offense. Their ball movement isn’t quite what it should be so if they get cold, deficits could grow quickly. Especially when facing off against Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Jordan Poole.
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Warriors strengths
- More scorers, better ball movement, home-court advantage.
The Warriors are loaded with scorers and it doesn’t stop with their three guards. Andrew Wiggins has taken a leap forward during the playoffs and Draymond Green might be the most important player on the court for them.
It is worth noting that the Warriors have not lost at home yet these playoffs, either.
Warriors weaknesses
- Inconsistent defense, size disadvantage, turnovers
Gary Payton III and Otto Porter should be out there for the Finals so the Warriors’ health isn’t listed. The return of Payton is a massive boon for their defense but let’s see how ready he is to play.
The Warriors lead the NBA in turnovers during the playoffs at 14.8 per game (min. seven games). The Celtics switch everything on defense so turnovers could be a huge issue.
NBA Finals best bet
Series total games ‘over’ 5.5 -200 (BetMGM)
Not picking a winner here by design. If you want to bet the Warriors, by all means, go ahead and do so now. Although, as a predator does when hunting prey, it is important to do the same as a bettor and take opportunities as they present themselves.
The Celtics are the play based on the factors listed above. A Game 1 loss would make the series line immediately jump to +200 or better. Which is a smash spot.
NBA Finals MVP best bet
Marcus Smart NBA Finals MVP +4500 (DraftKings)
He will be guarding Stephen Curry up and down the floor for the entire series. If the Celtics win it is because of their defense. It will still more than likely be Tatum who wins MVP if Boston pulls this off but at 45:1 this is an excellent longshot. We’ve already seen Smart get unwarranted praise when he won Defensive Player of the Year.
Smart plays extremely physical defense, something that Steve Kerr screamed at him for earlier in the season. Smart landed on Curry’s ankle and that injury sidelined him for multiple weeks.
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