Boston Celtics at Miami Heat
The Celtics responded in style after a disappointing performance in Game 3 as they thrashed the Heat in Game 4's 102-82 victory. They started Game 4 with a 29-11 first quarter and the Heat couldn't recover. Tatum had a tough time in Game 3 but bounced back with another 30 point outing and 8 boards. White had one of his best games for the Celtics in place of the injured Marcus Smart. Pritchard added 14 pts and 3 threes off the bench and continues to be an important piece in the Boston rotation. They also got Robert Williams back from injury and he played 19 mins. So he should be able to back up in Game 5. Smart is questionable at this stage and should be fine to suit up after missing Game 4.
Miami will look to get back on track in Game 5 on their home court. Their starting lineup produced just 18 pts in Game 4 and will need a quick turnaround. Butler played 27 minutes in his return from a knee injury but couldn't get going as he shot just 3 of 16. But it was a similar story for the rest of Miami's starters. Adebayo was held in check after a huge Game 3 as he finished with just 9 pts. Lowry only played 21 minutes in Game 4 and was 2 of 9 with just 3 pts. However, the Heat's bench made the scoreline respectable. Oladipo was impressive with 23 pts and hit 4 threes. Duncan Robinson got some time in the rotation and also hit 4 threes. But the Heat will need their starting lineup to pick up the slack in Game 5. They surely can't play much worse and should be boosted by home-court advantage.
This series has been all about teams bouncing back from poor performances and we can't see the Heat starting 5 playing that badly on their home court. So we do like the chances of the Over. The Over has saluted in both games during this series that have been played in Miami. It's also 5-2 when the Celtics head to Miami. Meanwhile, the Celtics are 10-4 against the Over in their last 14 road games.
Stadium Record
The Heat have won 10 of their last 11 at home. Boston are 3-1 in their last 4 games in Miami.
Head to Head Record
The series is tied at 2-2 and the head to head is also locked at 5-5 since early 2021.
Best Bet
Dallas Mavericks at Golden State Warriors
The Mavericks kept this series alive with a massive win in Game 4 - 119-109. The likes of Bullock, Finney-Smith and Kleber all stepped up after struggling in Game 3. Finney-Smith finished with 23 pts and hit 4 threes. Bullock rebounded from an absolute shocker in Game 3 with 6 threes and he shot 12 of 20. Kleber was good off the bench with 13 pts and 2 threes. This gave Doncic and Brunson the support they needed on offence and Dallas easily scored their most points of this series. The Mavs also committed just 8 turnovers and had 6 blocks. Overall, it was a great performance by a team under the pressure of a sweep. So they'll need to continue the momentum on the road to San Francisco for Game 5.
Golden State will be disappointed they couldn't close out the series in 4 games but they should be confident at home. They haven't lost on their home court in this year's playoffs (8-0). In the first 2 games of the series in San Fran, the margin has been 9 and 25 pts. In Game 5, the likes of Thompson and Wiggins will look to respond after quiet performances in Game 4. Wiggins finished with just 13 pts and Thompson struggled to get in the game in the first half. Curry was also kept quiet with just 20 pts. However, their bench got some good minutes and Kuminga was the most impressive with 17 pts. So with a rowdy home crowd on their side, the Warriors should be tough to beat.
The Mavs have covered in just 1 of their last 6 road games and we can see the Warriors defence adjusting in Game 5. Golden State has covered in 4 of their last 5 games after a loss and we can see them winning the series in Game 5.
Stadium Record
Head to Head Record
Best Bet
