Boston Celtics vs Cleveland Cavaliers
There were some who predicted the Boston Celtics would win over the Cleveland Cavaliers when the Kyrie Irving-Isaiah Thomas switch happened in the postseason. However, nobody — not even the most avid basketball betting fan — would have ever imagined things to end up like this.
Both teams have neither of the star guards they traded: IT is spending an early summer at Hollywood while LeBron James’ former Robin is out with an injury. However, the absence of these two players led to a revelation that will rattle many betting sites: Boston will become a tough dynasty to beat in the Eastern Conference.
LeBron looks gassed after carrying the team through sixteen games. Will we see the Cavaliers finally miss out on their first NBA Finals since 2015? The Q will reveal to us in time.
Talking Points
The biggest topic of discussion for Cleveland fans is the struggling display the Cavaliers showed at the TD Garden. It’s been mentioned that winning Game 5 is the utmost priority for LeBron and friends, but it seems that the Celtics are just too tough to stop on their home court.
Beantown is a fortress for these Celtics as they now enjoy an incredible 10-0 home record in the playoffs. What makes the feat all the most impressive is that their wins average an 11.5-point gap. This feat only exemplifies the brilliant coaching done by Brad Stevens over the course of the long NBA season.
Leading these young Celtics is Jayson Tatum. The 20-year-old wing has left a big impression on casual fans and experts with his basketball skills and mentality. In fact, he is playing so well that even current greats and NBA legends weren’t hesitant in singing him praises.
LeBron James acknowledged that Boston’s No 0 is playing well above his years. Paul Pierce also believes that Tatum has the potential to become one of the legends Celtics fans will be talking about for years and years.
“He’s mature beyond his years,” Pierce said. “He doesn’t look rattled by the moment. Sometimes you see rookies have problems when they get to this point. I don’t see that in Jayson Tatum. And if he didn’t have a team full of guys who are really good players and with two All-Stars, he could easily have won Rookie of the Year.”
On the other side of the coin, the Cleveland Cavaliers’ languish reached a new low as the rest of the squad left their better selves at the Q. Only James and Kevin Love were the players scoring in double digits as the rest of the squad failed to score. The only bright spot outside the two were Kyle Korver’s two three-pointers.
If the Cavaliers cannot find a way to stymie the C’s on their home floor, then there’s a huge chance for LeBron to sit out of the Finals and mull on his future a lot earlier than expected.
History
LeBron James has just been named into the All-NBA First Team for the 2017-18 season, and his performance in the postseason leaves little to no doubts for the honour.
Fans who saw James’ look at the end of Game 5 may be a sign of what’s to come for the franchise, but the King did well. He leads the league in points per game, player efficiency rating, win shares and box plus/minus. I am not sure if James can do keep on carrying the Cavs for much longer if his team-mates don’t step up.
Moreover, a bit of a history lesson will worry Cleveland fans all the more. The last time Cleveland were down 3-2 to the Boston Celtics was during the 2010 Eastern Conference semi-finals, where a younger LeBron failed to match up against Pierce, Kevin Garnett and Ray Allen. Everyone and their mother knew that he soon took his talents to South Beach after the playoffs.
The Cavaliers have always played well on their home floor, and their performances in their last two series prove that. It is now up to the rest of the group to help James and Love force an improbable Game 7 at Beantown.
What are the odds?
The series has been determined by the home team, so it’s no wonder that online bookies like SBOBET have the Cavaliers on the advantage. You can bet on the Cavs with a -7.50 Asian Handicap for 2.08 if you are confident that LeBron’s supporting cast will be making their return to the court.
Meanwhile, choose Boston +7.00 @ 1.92 if you believe Brad Stevens, Tatum, Jaylen Brown and the rest of the Celtics will become the first Eastern Conference Champions in seven years that don’t star the kid from Akron.
This game should become a high-scoring affair, so gunning for over 202.00 will increase your stake by 1.91.
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