Boston Celtics 111-108 Cleveland Cavaliers
No Isaiah Thomas? No problem!
Sports betting fans expecting a massacre at Quicken Loans Arena were given a live betting treat as the Boston Celtics surprised the Cleveland Cavaliers and showed them why they are the top seed.
Most online gambling experts thought that it would be another blowout when the Cavs led by as many as 21 points, but the Celtics staged an incredible comeback to cut the deficit and extend what was predicted to be a comfortable series for Cleveland.
It’s all thanks to an unlikely hero in Marcus Smart who kept the Boston offence running throughout.
Coach Brad Stevens put Smart as point guard to replace the injured Thomas, and it paid off big time as the 23-year-old was all over the court, shooting threes, grabbing rebounds and dishing out assists.
Smart finished the game with 27 points, seven assists and five rebounds as he shot a ridiculous 70 percent from deep. He also came up big in the fourth quarter, tying the game at 95-all with six minutes remaining and providing the assist that led to the Avery Bradley winner at the death of time.
Bradley had 20 points for the C’s, including the game-winning three. Al Horford, though largely inefficient, chipped in 16.
Meanwhile, Kelly Olynyk provided the spark off the bench with his 15 points.
It also helped Boston that they defended with more purpose and worked the ball around for good looks instead of forcing contested threes.
The Cavs, on the other hand, played well offensively in the first half as they roared to a double-digit lead right from the opening frame.
However, with LeBron James not in his usual self (tallying just 11 points and committing six turnovers), Cleveland were unable to pull away and relax like they did in Game 2.
Kyrie Irving and Kevin Love tried to fill the scoring void left by LeBron. Irving notched 29 points and even tied the game with 10.7 seconds left, hoping for overtime. Nonetheless, they failed to stop the Celts’ last play.
If Boston can maintain the same tenacity they showed here, we might have a long Eastern Conference Finals series.
For the latest sports update, promotions and betting picks with SBOBET get social with our official Twitter, Google+, YouTube and Facebook accounts. Visit SBOBET and join us now. Start placing your bets today!
Click for more basketball betting options.
