NBA Playoff Betting – Heat Will Burn Garnett-Less Celtics

The series that started with a fight will feature its second go-round on Tuesday, as the Miami Heat try to steal a roadie against the Boston Celtics.

Miami Heat @ Boston Celtics
Tuesday, April 20th – 8:05 PM ET
TD Garden – Boston, MA
TV: TNT
Basketball Betting Spread: Celtics -1

The Week That Was: Heat

The fifth seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs fell short in Game 1 of its first round series, falling to Boston on Saturday night by an 85-76 score. The Heat led, 61-47, with seven minutes left in the third period and seemed to have the proceedings in control. However, an NBA game – with the 24-second shot clock – features far too many possessions for any lead to feel safe… especially if that lead is less than 25 points.

After snaring a 14-point advantage against the 2008 NBA champions, coach Erik Spoelstra’s club scored only 15 points in the final 19 minutes of regulation. Boston’s defensive specialist, Tony Allen, clamped down on Miami superstar Dwyane Wade, limiting the Heat’s best player to just six points in those final 19 minutes. A 10-point fourth quarter works only if an NBA team owns a mammoth advantage; on Saturday, the Heat owned a minimal 66-64 edge after three quarters. That meant that they would have needed the Celtics to score just eight points in order to gain an overtime period. Needless to say, they didn’t. A 21-point quarter is nothing special, but Boston’s “21” was more than enough to beat the Heat.

The Week That Was: Celtics

Coach Doc Rivers had to love the way his fourth-seeded team battled back to grab a 1-0 lead in this series. The 85-76 win referenced above was not very likely when Miami dominated the first two and a half quarters. It was somewhat improbable that Boston picked itself up off the canvas, but then again, the Celtics’ opponent did much to shape the final outcome in New England.
Miami committed 22 turnovers which led to 38 points for Boston. Yes, the Celtics’ defense played hard and well, but no team – especially not one with Dwyane Wade – should score just 10 points in a quarter. Wade creates so many opportunities for teammates when he draws double-teams, so the Heat’s supporting cast needed to carry a little bit of the load in the fourth quarter. It couldn’t do so. Boston won’t be able to beat Cleveland or Orlando by playing the way it did on Saturday. At least the C’s knocked off Miami.

Unfortunately, however, Boston lost the services of center Kevin Garnett for one game. The heart and soul of the 2008 champions foolishly elbowed Miami’s Quentin Richardson in a fourth-quarter fight, and that act resulted in an automatic one-game suspension.

Outlook & Pick

The Celtics’ biggest advantage over Miami was going to come inside, with the Heat lacking anyone with particularly imposing skills. Jermaine O’Neal is a far cry from the player who led the Indiana Pacers to the 2004 Eastern Conference Finals. Udonis Haslem isn’t nearly as powerful a force as the man who helped Miami win the 2006 NBA title alongside Wade. Having Garnett on the floor was going to give Boston a considerable advantage in a series that figured to go at least six games. Now that Mr. Garnett is out, it makes sense to take Miami in Game 2, setting up the long series most people expect.

Playoff Basketball Betting pick: Heat

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