Heat and Celtics are in a Slobber-knocker of a NBA Playoffs Series
By Charles Jay
It would be a fair assumption on the part of BetAnySports customers that if the Boston Celtics don’t stop throwing the ball away, they aren’t going to be advancing to the NBA Finals.
Now that it’s been said, what are the chances that their 24 turnovers in Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals will be duplicated?
That is the question that must be assessed as we move on to Game 4, which is slated to get underway at 8:30 PM ET at the TD Garden.
Miami took a 2-1 lead in the series after registering a 109-103 victory in Game 3 on Saturday.
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Here are the numbers……
In the NBA playoff betting odds that have been posted on this game, the Celtics are the favorites:
Boston Celtics -7
Miami Heat +7
Over 206 Points -110
Under 206 Points -110
NBA Playoffs Betting — First of all, who’s gonna play?
There was a big injury list after Game 3. Tyler Herro, a valuable piece of the Miami offensive puzzle, mostly off the bench, sat out the last eight minutes of the game with a groin injury, and he has already been declared out for Game 4. But that’s not the end of the Heat’s injury woes.
Jimmy Butler, by far the principal offensive cog, missed the second half with a knee injury, and in turn the Heat missed him. One of the big criticisms of this team is that it has placed far too big of a burden on Butler, who also gets it done at the defensive end. Herro was someone who could score in bunches, but without him in the rotation, it would stick Butler with a bigger load. The expectation is that he will suit up, but we can’t say for certain.
There are other guys with little hurts for Miami. Kyle Lowry, who finally came back to the lineup in Game 3, is listed as questionable with a hamstring ailment. His backup, Gabe Vincent, has essentially the same status. Max Strus also has hamstring issues. And PJ Tucker is probable with knee soreness.
The Celtics Jayson Tatum has a “stinger” and is expected to be in the lineup. Robert Williams, a second-team All-Defensive selection, had to sit out Game 3 with knee problems, but shouldn’t have a problem getting back into action for Game 4.
Marcus Smart could be the wild card here. The ankle he sprained on Saturday was not a pretty sight. He did return to the game, but we wonder if it will get stiff on him. Keep in mind that he was named the Defensive Player of the Year, so the Celtics would be missing quite a bit without him.
NBA Playoffs Betting — Celtics can’t toss the ball away
You simply can’t commit 24 turnovers. Boston has to be much more careful with the basketball, and a lot of that goes to ball movement. Maybe some of it involved trying to force Tatum into the offense, when Miami was dedicated to keeping him out of position to take good shots. Tatum made just one of seven from beyond the three-point arc, finishing with ten points and six turnovers.
As a team the Celtics had 24 turnovers and just 21 assists. Miami scored 33 points off those turnovers. The Celtics were fortunate that Jaylen Brown was hot, with 40 points.
NBA Playoffs Betting — Our conclusion
Since we don’t know how much Butler and Smart will play, or how effective they’ll be if they do, it’s difficult to measure the potential impact. We can say that all three games of this series have gone over the total, and if defensive stalwarts are taken out of this game, that’s the kind of thing that could cause another “over.” That may be the other half of a parlay for us, but when a team is +16 in turnovers and takes 22 more shots than the opponent, and still comes to within one point of blowing a 26-point lead, they are living a charmed life.
This thing should turn around on Monday night, as we lay the points.
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