It took the Boston Celtics a quarter to wake up in their Eastern Conference semifinal opener against the Washington Wizards, but then they turned it on. Boston was excellent offensively to take a 1-0 lead on Sunday and will now aim to defend its home court once again in Game 2.
This is a critical game, as the Wizards would love to capture a victory to head home with a split. If the Celtics can muster up another victory it will put Washington against the wall. The first game was a shootout, and the Wizards will need to do a better job defensively in this one to have a shot at the upset.
Boston has now won five consecutive playoff games and hopes to keep it rolling.
This war on the floor will go down Tuesday, May 2, 2017, at 8 p.m. ET at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. The game will be televised live on TNT.
We'll have NBA odds at BookMaker.eu available for this and every game on the NBA Tuesday schedule.
NBA Odds
The Celtics are listed as 5.5-point favorites to capture this Game 2 showdown. Boston is a -220 favorite in this one while the Wizards are listed as a +184 underdog. The scoring total is set at 218.5 points. Boston covered the spread and the scoring total went “over” in its 123-111 victory in Game 1.
The Celtics are 58-31 straight up and 46-42-1 against the spread. Boston has played in 45 home games but has only covered in 19 of them. The Celtics are 11-9-1 against the spread as the underdog.
The Wizards are 53-36 straight up and 45-43-1 against the spread. Washington has played in 45 road games this season, covering in 20 of them with one push. The Wizards are 18-19 against the spread as the underdog on the season.
Last Time Out
Washington scored the first 16 points of the game and led 38-24 after one quarter, but it was all Boston after that. The Celtics pulled to within five points at halftime and then outscored the Wizards by 20 points in the third quarter to take control.
Isaiah Thomas had 33 points and nine assists to lead the way for Boston, while Jae Crowder added 24 points and Al Horford had 21. The Wizards were led by Bradley Beal, who had 27 points, while John Wall added 20 points and 16 assists but did have eight turnovers.
Wizards power forward Markieff Morris played only 11 minutes until leaving with a sprained ankle. That was a big loss the rest of the way, although he is adamant that he will play in Game 2. If Morris can’t go or is limited, that could have an effect on the outcome.
Key Stat
19. That’s how many three-pointers the Celtics hit in Game 1, shooting 48.7 percent from downtown. Crowder gave a huge boost by hitting 6-of-8 three-pointers, although it’s impossible to believe he will be that hot again next time out.
Thomas added five three-pointers, and he is much more likely to repeat that performance than Crowder. The Wizards need to tighten up their perimeter defense moving forward, but even if Boston gets good looks in Game 2 it doesn’t figure to shoot that well again.
Free NBA ATS Pick
Boston was impressive as it showed the resolve to chip away and then take control in Game 1. Thomas and Horford were good, and the help from Crowder and Avery Bradley was crucial in getting the win.
While the Celtics jumped ahead with the Game 1 win, these teams are pretty similar in talent level. Watch for a huge game from Wall and Beal in Game 2, which could help the Wizards even the series with the road upset. This series should be a good one, and a split by Washington in the first two games would signal that.
The Celtics aren’t likely to shoot as well from the outside in this one, which will be their downfall.
NBA Odds: Wizards 112, Celtics 109
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