Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics
The Raptors and Celtics face off in Game 2 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals at 7.30am (all times AEST), with Boston currently leading the series 1-0.
In a series where Toronto went in favourites, Boston were firing on all cylinders in Game 1, winning 112-94 despite it technically being the Raptors’ home game.
It was in large due to the first quarter where the Celtics came out firing, winning the period 39-23 and putting Nick Nurse’s team on the backfoot early.
Boston outscored Toronto 51-30 from three-point range, going 17-of-39 from downtown at a 43.6 per cent clip.
Jayson Tatum (21 points, nine rebounds), Marcus Smart (21 points, six rebounds), Kemba Walker (18 points, 10 assists) and Daniel Theis (13 points, 15 rebounds, two blocks) all came up big for Brad Stevens’ team.
As has been the case all season, the balance of this Celtics team combined with Tatum’s emergence has catapulted them into a contender to emerge out of the East.
The Raptors will make adjustments for Game 2 and hope to get more production out of Pascal Siakam after a quiet Game 1 by his standards (13 points, three rebounds).
Kyle Lowry (ankle) went into the series under an injury cloud but put up 17 points and eight assists in Game 1.
The Celtics are now 4-1 against the Raptors this season.
Tip: Raptors to win @ $1.85.
The Nuggets and Jazz will battle it out in an epic Game 7 matchup at 10.30am, with the winner set to advance to a Semifinals matchup against the LA Clippers.
In what has been the highlight series of the first round, Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell have gone-head-head in a scoring extravaganza. Usually in the playoffs the scoring tightens up, but this one has gone in the complete opposite direction!
With the Nuggets originally down 3-1 in the series, Murray put this team on his back and has emerged as genuine star. Murray has put up 50, 42 and 50 points respectively in the last three games, becoming only the second player in NBA history to have multiple 50-point games in the postseason.
The Blue Arrow took over in the fourth quarter of Game 6, scoring 21 points to lead the Nuggets to victory. But Mitchell wasn’t far behind, scoring 44 points in the game, including 17 in the fourth.
Both players are playing at a superstar level and it feels like a given that they will light it up again in Game 7. It could well come down to which of the pair has the bigger game, or if a Nikola Jokic or Rudy Gobert chime in with their own big performance.
This series really has been a tail of two halves, with the Jazz looking the better team early and now the Nuggets starting to shine.
Game 7s can always go either way, but one thing is for sure – all eyes will be on this one, and in particular the Murray vs. Mitchell duel.
Tip: Nuggets to win @ $1.89.
