Warriors Have to Step Up Big in NBA Finals in Game 4
By Charles Jay
Well, the Boston Celtics survived a bit of a scare but had the difference-making plays when it counted in the fourth quarter of Game 3 in the NBA Finals. Holding the Golden State Warriors to just eleven points, they showed BetAnySports customers why they are a premier defensive team. And they also won the battle of “hustle,” as they dominated on the boards.
So there is a certain amount of urgency on the part of Golden State to come up with some answers so that they won’t go back home down 3-1, which would put them in a compromised situation. Game 4 begins at 9 p.m. Eastern time on Friday at the TD Garden.
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NBA Finals Odds — Here are the numbers…
Boston is again laying points in Friday night’s game, as per BetAnySports NBA Finals Odds:
Boston Celtics – 4
Golden State Warriors + 4
Over 214.5 points -110
Under 214.5 points -110
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NBA Playoff Odds — Celtics clean the glass
It’s very hard to lose when you rack up a 47-31 edge in rebounding, and that’s what the Celtics did in Game 3. Included in all this were 15 offensive rebounds, and that is about hustle and drive. It leads to additional opportunities, and that showed in the stats – Boston had 22 second-chance points, doubling Golden State’s total. And they also had a huge 52-26 lead in points in the paint.
NBA Playoff Odds — Tatum still not in high gear
Jayson Tatum, who has to be considered the biggest scoring threat on the Celtics’ roster, went 9 for 23 on Wednesday night, and that means he is only 34% from the field for the series. What’s alarming is that he is below 28% from two-point range, and this means that Golden State has succeeded in forcing him to take shots from uncomfortable positions, unless it’s behind the three-point arc.
Maybe this has affected him on the other end as well, as his defensive rating of 114 is the highest out of any Celtic who has played more than ten minutes in this series.
What’s encouraging is that Tatum does find other ways to contribute on the offensive end. If you recall, in Game 1, he hit only three of 17 shots, but handed out 13 assists. On Wednesday he dished out nine dimes.
NBA Finals Odds — Boston defense holding up for the most part
Boston is obviously most comfortable playing in a slowdown mode, and keeping Golden State in the half-court. They did allow 18 fast break points in Game 3, but when they had the pace a little more controlled, they were outstanding. Between them, Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown held the opponents they were directly guarding to 24% shooting. And Smart was a downright pain in the neck for Steph Curry; the big gun for the Warriors, who scored 31 points on Wednesday, went scoreless in almost five minutes where he was being directly hounded by the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year.
NBA Playoff Odds — Our conclusion
It’s interesting that even though the first half produced 124 points, Game 3 barely made it over the total, because of a slow fourth period.
It might be worth looking at playing quarters in this one. Through the first three games Golden State is + 43 in third-quarter action, as obviously they’re figuring something out in the locker room to counteract what Boston is doing to them. The Celtics are actually minus a half- point for the third quarter, which probably makes the Warriors a play. It’s the same price in the fourth quarter (at -120), except Boston has been + 40 in that stanza. Remember that over the course of the season, Golden State has allowed the fewest fourth-quarter points per game, at 25.2. So look strongly at the Warriors in the third quarter, and the UNDER for the game.
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