Cleveland Cavaliers vs Boston Celtics
And then there was one.
After a gruelling six matches, the Eastern Conference Finals is now headed to a decisive Game 7. Both Boston and Cleveland gave it their all to make it this far; but in the end, only one will get the right to represent the East in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics, often dubbed as the powerhouse team of tomorrow, will look to show basketball betting fans that the future is today. However, the Cavs will hope for another ticket to the big dance as LeBron James tries to cement his status as the greatest player of all time.
Talking Points
LeBron James. Is there any other player worth talking about at this stage of the series?
The King has single-handedly willed the Cavs to Game 7, and it’s almost laughable that his doubters thought he wouldn’t be able to push the Celtics to the limit with his current teammates.
Facing elimination at home, LeBron drew a masterpiece and carried his team to the decider. He scored 46 points on top of 11 boards and nine assists to power the Cavs, who lost Kevin Love five minutes into Game 6 after suffering a concussion.
Sure enough, the Cavs got some unexpected production from their role players. George Hill scored 20 points while Jeff Green chipped in 14, but it was James’ undeniable brilliance that led them to the victory.
The Cavs need another similar performance from LeBron if they are to make it a record four straight finals appearances, and James knows it too.
Following their Game 6 win, LeBron said: “As soon as I leave here, I’ll start to prepare. I’m going to get in the car and head back to Akron. As soon as I get home, I’ll start my treatment [on my injured right leg].”
Meanwhile, for Boston, it’s all about using their home-court advantage and staying consistent on both ends of the floor.
They are without their two superstars, but Brad Stevens found a way to keep his team in title contention, beating both Milwaukee and Philadelphia in the first two rounds. Now, they need to find that mojo back as they aim for their first finals appearance since 2010.
The Celtics are still undefeated at TD Garden this postseason, but as we noted in our Game 4 preview, LeBron has won at least one road game in 31 of his last 32 playoff series.
Boston need to rediscover their league-leading defence to have any chance of stopping LeBron and the Cavs. They registered a defensive rating of 101.5 in the regular season, but it dropped to 104.9 in the playoffs, which is only good for fifth.
History
As mentioned earlier, Boston are undefeated in the playoffs with a 10-0 record. And sure enough, they will rely on their home-court dominance and the support of the crowd to get the job done in what could be described as the most important Game 7 in the franchise’s new era.
Nonetheless, while the Celts have a spectacular history at home, they shouldn’t forget “Game 7 LeBron”—who is undoubtedly a far different beast from the “Playoff LeBron” we all know.
James is 5-2 in Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs, and if that’s not scary enough, he averages almost 35 points per game in such situations! The latest example is his 45-point outburst in the do-or-die finale of their first-round series against the Indiana Pacers last month. He even recorded eight rebounds and seven assists in that match for a near triple-double performance!
There’s also his 2016 display in the NBA Finals against the Golden State Warriors! After trailing 1-3, LeBron led the charge for the Cavs to complete a historic turnaround. He tallied 27 points, 11 boards and 11 assists in their title-clinching win.
The last time LeBron lost in a Game 7 was in 2008, ironically against the Celtics in the East semi-finals. That’s another history too!
What are the odds?
As expected, NBA betting odds are tight between the two teams. Boston, thanks to their home-court advantage, are slightly favoured to win at Asian Handicap odds.
The Beantown team is at –2.00 @ 1.91, while the Cavs are given a +2.00 start at odds of 1.99.
SBOBET odds, however, not only point to a tight affair but also to a low-scoring game. Their last match at TD Garden ended with only a combined 179 points, and our NBA betting lines on Over-Under point to a repeat of that as Under 200.50 pays only at 1.82. For odds comparison, Over 200.50 is at 2.06.
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