Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
Boston outlasted the Bucks in an epic 7 game series and will head to Miami with a lot of confidence. They won 3 of the last 4 games of the series against Milwaukee and Tatum has hit form at the right time. He's scored 30+ points in 3 of his last 4 games and only foul trouble limited his game-time in Game 7. One of the stories of the Game 7 victory over the Bucks was Grant Williams. He finished with a career-high 27 pts and nailed 7 threes in 39 minutes of elite play. With the defensive attention on Tatum & Brown, Williams could be a difference-maker in this series. They'll also be banking on the defence of Al Horford against Bam Adebayo and that'll be a key matchup as this series progresses. The only injury issue for the Celtics is Marcus Smart with a foot complaint and he's currently questionable for Game 1.
The #1 seeded Heat sealed a 4-2 series victory over the 76ers and would've enjoyed seeing the Celtics go 7 games against the Bucks. So Miami will be well-rested for Game 1. Miami were elite defensively in the last 2 games of the series, keeping the 76ers under 91 pts. While on offence, Jimmy Butler averaged 27.5 pts per game and hit the 30+ mark in 3 of 6 games. He'll be fired up in this matchup with Tatum and Brown. Adebayo started the series against the 76ers with back to back 20+ pts but faded as the series went on. So he'll likely be a target of the Celtics defence as well. The Heat will still be without Kyle Lowry so the likes of Herro, Oladipo and Vincent will be important. Strus also finished off the series against the 76ers with an average of 19.5 points and brings a lot of upside to this series, especially without Lowry.
With two of the best defences in the East, this should be a low scoring affair to start Game 1. The Celtics have given up an average of just 88 pts in their last 2 games and the Under has saluted in 5 of their last 7 games. The Heat have also allowed under 100 pts in 2 straight games and the Under is 9-2 in their last 11.
Stadium Record
The Heat are 6-0 at home in this year's playoffs. Boston are 10-5 in Miami in their last 15 games.
Head to Head Record
Since late 2020, the head to head is split 5-5. Boston has won 2 of the 3 meetings this season.
Best Bet
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
The Mavericks rallied from a 2-0 series deficit against the Suns and ended up thrashing them in a crushing Game 7 victory. The Mavs were up 57-27 at half-time and Donic, Brunson and Dinwiddie dominated. Doncic led the way with 35 pts and was brilliant against the Suns as he averaged 32.6 pts in the series. Dinwiddie's 30 pts was a playoff-high for the Mavs and he hit 5 threes. His production off the bench will be a key in this series against the Warriors. Brunson had a solid outing against the Suns as he averaged 18 points per game and provides good support for Doncic.
The Warriors come off a tough 4-2 series win over the Grizzlies. They showed good resolve after a disappointing Game 5 result as they went down by 39 pts. But they came back in Game with a 110-96 victory. Klay Thompson comes off 30 pts in game 6 and was on fire from beyond the arc with 8 threes. Curry had a strong series against the Grizzlies with 26 points per game and his matchup with Doncic will be a key factor in this series.
The Mavericks come off a huge series win over the #1 seed and the momentum should continue into Game 1. Dallas has also won 8 of their last 10 against the Warriors. To be fair, Golden State were inconsistent against the Grizzlies and Doncic should give their defence a lot of headaches.
Stadium Record
Golden State are 6-0 on their home court in the playoffs this year. Dallas has a strong record here with 4 wins in the last 5 meetings.
Head to Head Record
The Mavs have the wood over the Warriors with 8 wins in the last 10 meetings.
Best Bet
