The Eastern Conference semi-final tie is finely poised at 1-1 between the Milwaukee Bucks and Boston Celtics. A rip-roaring performance by the Celtics saw them surge to a 109-86 victory in Game 2. By going back to basics, they were able to come out on top.
Of course, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum stepped up to the plate for the Celtics as they weighed in with a combined 59 points in Game 2. However, there were a few other eye-catching stats that are worth mentioning:
- The Celtics were 11-of-26 from above the break threes.
- In the paint, the Celtics were effective as they were 12-of-22.
- The Celtics were 6-of-15 with their midrange shots, which isn’t a great percentage, but they were still a handful.
This tie has all the ingredients to go the distance and we are eagerly looking forward to Game 3 on Saturday. We have handpicked a few lines from one of the best online sports betting operators in the business for those looking to place some wagers ahead of the tip-off.
Boston Celtics has the momentum
Although the Bucks are the reigning NBA champions, and should be feared in the playoffs, the Celtics has the wind in their sails. Momentum counts for a lot in sport, and in the context of this Eastern Conference semi-final tie, the Celtics will be buoyant after their Game 2 win.
It was a brilliant performance from back to front and the defense managed to contain Giannis Antetokounmpo. While he drained 28 points, the Celtics didn’t double up on him as they did in Game 1.
And when they did, Al Horford and Grant Williams did an excellent job in keeping Giannis quiet. Horford, for example, had 54 possession and 5 turnovers in Games 1 and 2 when defending against Giannis, and there was a marked improvement in Game 2.
The Celtics were able to make offense plays much more easily in Game 2 and the manner of their victory was very telling. If you fancy the Celtics to push through and take Game 3, then you can get a tasty looking price of +120 on the Moneyline with SugarHouse, which is worth pursuing.
Jayson Tatum to put in another monster performance
The twin threat of Tatum and Brown could give the Celtics the edge over the Bucks in Game 3. Tatum may have been slightly subdued in Game 1 as he only, and we say only, managed 21 points, but in Game 2, he bounced back strongly, scoring 29 points as well as contributing 8 assists during his 43-minute showing on the floor.
Tatum is likely to make another big impact once again for the Celtics and he could turn in another monster display. The player prop market at SugarHouse looks rather intriguing, as they have valued Tatum at -113 to score Over 29.5 points.
Expect another high-scoring affair
Marcus Smart was ruled out of Game 2 with a quad injury, but it is hoped that he will be back in time for Game 3, as he is a big presence on the floor. However, the Celtics didn’t have too much trouble offensively without Smart in Game 2.
Anyway, the last couple of games have been fairly high-scoring and we expect Game 3 to follow a similar pattern. If you like the look of the Total Points Over/Under section, then you can get odds of -112 for there to be Under 213 points during the game with SugarHouse. When you consider that Game 2 has been the highest scoring to date with 195 points, this seems like a fair price.
