The NBA Finals will be epic no matter who wins between the Heat and Celtics

This NBA Finals is going to be one for the history books

Welcome to Layup Lines, our basketball newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon

Howdy, folks. Welcome back to Layup Lines. It’s Sykes, once again, here to usher you into another weekend of basketball. Not that much basketball, though. We’re still waiting on the Eastern Conference Finals to wrap up.

But you know what I just realized? No matter who comes out of this series between the Miami Heat and Celtics, we are all winners. We’re getting a historic NBA Finals regardless.

On one hand, we’ll get the Miami Heat who would’ve absolutely put together one of the most impressive postseason runs we’ve ever seen. Miami would be the second No. 8 seed to reach the NBA Finals in league history and the first to do it since the Knicks went in 1999.

On their way, Miami would’ve knocked off the teams with the two best records in the NBA in the Bucks and Celtics as a No. 8 seed. Those 1999 Knicks did the same thing.

That, alone, would be pretty epic. But then you take into account the historic playoff run Jimmy Butler has had and it gets even better.

But let’s talk about the Celtics, though. It goes without saying that Boston quite literally has to make history to make it to the NBA Finals.

The Celtics are only down 3-2 now after losing the first three games of the series to the Heat. And, well, it looks like our chaotic fever dream might actually come to pass? The Celtics could seriously be the first team in NBA history to come back from a 3-0 deficit.

If they make it to the NBA Finals, that’s seriously the greatest comeback in NBA postseason history. Teams are 150-0 when falling down 3-0 in a best-of-7 playoff series. History is literally against Boston right now — it doesn’t matter that they’re playing a No. 8 seed. That’d still be insanely impressive.

The Nuggets are just there waiting. They’ve got a center who has done things that only Wilt Chamberlain has done in his NBA career on their team in Nikola Jokic. He’s one of the most skilled big-men we’ve ever seen on an NBA court.

Oh, and, by the way, the Nuggets are trying to win their first championship in team history. No big deal or anything.

Regardless of what happens, we have a lot to look forward to talk about when it comes to the 2023 NBA Finals. Don’t listen to any of that talk about how bad the ratings might be or how there’s no interesting things about any of the teams there. That’s simply just untrue.

Exciting basketball is on the horizon. Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Speaking of interesting basketball, everyone keeps talking about how the Denver Nuggets aren’t interesting at all. And that’s simply not true.

I actually took the time to prove it by writing about 9 compelling storylines to follow surrounding the team. It took me, like, 15 minutes to come up with these. That’s quite literally how easy it was.

One of the more compelling stories was how good Jamal Murray has been.

“Not only has he shattered the notion of Murray only having big performances in the NBA Bubble, but he’s also outplayed all-time greats on the biggest stage of his career so far.

Jamal Murray averaged 32.5 points through four games in the NBA Conference Finals while shooting at least 50 percent from the field, 40 percent from 3-point range and 90 percent from the free-throw line.

He did that while outdueling both LeBron James and Anthony Davis.”

We’ve literally been watching this dude ascend into stardom. And that’s not interesting? Please. There’s plenty more where that came from.

Shootaround

— Somebody created a burner account on Twitter that only defends NBA ref Eric Lewis. We need to know who did this.

— Jayson Tatum keeps making Boston Celtics history, which says a lot about how good he is. Bryan Kalbrosky has this stat comparing him to Larry Bird.

— Erik Spoelstra is tired of the underdog talk when it comes to the Miami Heat. Cory Woodruff has more.

Charles Barkley needs to put this Boston accent away. Goodness gracious.

That’s all, folks. Enjoy the weekend.

Celtics punch ticket to NBA Finals vs. Warriors with win over Heat in Game 7

After a battle against the Heat in Game 7, the Celtics punched a ticket to meet the Warriors in the 2022 NBA Finals.

After the Golden State Warriors eliminated the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals, Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green awaited the winner of the Eastern Conference finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat.

Following a stellar performance by Jimmy Butler in Game 6, the Heat forced a win or go home Game 7 on Sunday against the Celtics to decide a spot in the NBA finals.

After the Celtics jumped out to an early run behind Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart, the Heat pushed back into the game late. The Heat cut a 17-point Boston advantage to only two points with under a minute remaining in the contest.

Following a stop on the defensive side of the floor, the Heat had the opportunity to tie or take the lead with under 20 seconds on the clock. With the chance to take the ball to the bucket on a fastbreak, Jimmy Butler pulled up from beyond the arc for a dagger 3-pointer. However, Butler’s jumper clanked off the front rim, essentially sealing the contest for Boston.

Smart knocked down a pair of late free throws to give the Celtics a 100-96 victory over the Heat in Game 7. Following Sunday’s contest, the NBA Finals is officially set between Boston and Golden State.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 26 points on 9-of-21 shooting with four triples, 10 boards, six assists, two blocks and a steal in 46 minutes. After his performance in Game 6, Tatum was named the inaugural winner of the Larry Bird Eastern Conference finals Most Valuable Player.

After Game 7, the Celtics and Warriors will get four days off before the start of the NBA Finals on June 2. Game 1 of the Finals is set to tip-off in the Bay Area on Thursday at 6 p.m. PT.

This post originally appeared on Warriors Wire! Follow us on Facebook and Twitter

[mm-video type=video id=01g40p9wm4qpp6ka6t5r playlist_id=01f09kz5ecxq9bp57b player_id=01eqbvq570kgj8vfs7 image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g40p9wm4qpp6ka6t5r/01g40p9wm4qpp6ka6t5r-bf39b2c7b4b78a331ba733359f63f362.jpg]

[listicle id=63110]

Flashback Friday: LeBron scores 45 vs. Celtics in legendary Game 6 performance in 2012

Remembering when LeBron James saved the Big 3 with an epic performance against the Celtics in 2012.

Do y’all remember where you were when LeBron stared elimination in the eyes and delivered perhaps his greatest and most important game to this day?

I was on a school bus as a high school senior headed to grad night. I remember following the play-by-play on my phone not truly believing what the ESPN app was showing me. Another LeBron basket? Another dunk? Thirty points in the first half???

And it somehow only got less believable when I got home and finally was able to watch the highlights, as James’ numb face and cold-blooded demeanor lifted Miami over Boston at the TD Garden to force a Game 7.

The 45-point performance didn’t just save the Heat’s season, it likely saved the Big 3.

For context, this all went down in Year 2 of the LeBron James-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh trio. Year 1 ended in disappointment as Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks beat the Heat in the NBA Finals. Another season without a championship, or even an appearance in the Finals, would have been disastrous.

Who knows what would have happened after that if Miami went home early. No need to speculate, though. LeBron went off and it potentially changed his career.

Miami faces another 3-2 deficit in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Celtics at TD Garden. Will any Heat player have a season-saving performance?

[mm-video type=video id=01g43dv9gx4df8z2p599 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g43dv9gx4df8z2p599/01g43dv9gx4df8z2p599-da639af555aa8246c4ef91a3817de4af.jpg]

[listicle id=1902917]

Betting on Jayson Tatum, Max Strus and other player props ahead of Celtics-Heat Game 6

Which players will have an impact on Game 6?

One of the most bizarre conference finals that we’ve seen in a while has a chance to conclude on Friday night. The Boston Celtics, up 3-2, are just one win away from advancing to their 22nd NBA Finals (17 wins). The Miami Heat will need a bounceback game to stave off elimination and play for the chance to make their seventh NBA Finals appearance (three wins).

The possible outcomes of Friday fall in the hands of the individuals who will be leaving it all out on the hardwood. We take a look at a few specific players and how their player props could dictate how the game unfolds.

All odds via Tipico Sportsbook.

The Heat’s PA announcement before Wednesday’s game was an important call to action

The Heat urged people to call their senators, and told them how.

Welcome to Layup Lines, our daily NBA newsletter where we’ll prep you for a tip-off of tonight’s action, from what to watch to bets to make. Subscribe here to get it delivered to your inbox every afternoon.

What’s up y’all. This is Prince here for today’s Layup Lines, and before we get into tonight’s playoff action, I want to step away from the court for a second to talk about what the Miami Heat did before last night’s game.

Using the large platform afforded to them by the popularity of the NBA and an Eastern Conference Finals with the Boston Celtics, the Heat gave an important call to action in the wake of the tragic shooting this week at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas. After a moment of silence for the 21 victims – including 19 children – Miami’s public address announcer asked that the tens of thousands in attendance at FTX Arena and the millions more watching at home to contact their senators.

“The Heat urges you to contact your state senators by calling 202-224-3121 to leave a message demanding their support for common sense gun laws. You can also make change at the ballot box. Visit Heat.com/vote to register and let your voice be heard this fall.”

The message was simple and something people have been doing for years already. But these tragedies happen so often that it’s easy to feel helpless about them. Surely, if our political leaders cared enough, we wouldn’t still be worrying about the safety of our kids and teachers at school…or our own safety in a place of worship or a grocery store. The shooting in Uvalde was just 10 days after the racist attack in Buffalo that left 10 people dead.

Following in the footsteps of Warriors coach Steve Kerr, who made an impassioned plea for our elected officials to do something, the Heat just provided a friendly reminder that we can do the same thing, and they even told us how. Polling regularly shows that a majority of Americans support universal background checks, among other more stringent gun control measures. It’s about time the people we put in office start listening. If the Heat’s message only gets one extra person to make that call, then it was worth it.

The Tip-Off

Some NBA goodness from around the USA TODAY Sports network.

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

I don’t find many things to be more annoying than when former NBA players levy criticism against the state of the current game or players, especially when that former player is a legend. So when I saw that James Worthy was the latest to do so, my initial reaction was to shake my head and keep it moving.

But you know what? Worthy’s description of today’s players — however silly — doesn’t sound so bad and might’ve described one of our current legends to a T, as our guy Bryan Kalbrosky wrote.

“The three-time NBA champion thinks that all players do now is practice 3-pointers, get tattoos and tweet. That’s an outstanding lifestyle and something that is going to resonate with a lot of basketball fans!

One fan noticed that Worthy’s description of a modern hooper reminded them of Kevin Durant — and, of course, KD replied. The Brooklyn superstar noted that he had a sharp midrange game.”

OK, so maybe KD practices more than the three. But it is indeed a new day, Mr. Worthy.

One to Watch

(All odds via Tipico.)

Cary Edmondson-USA TODAY Sports

Mavericks (+230) vs. Warriors (-6.5, -120), O/U 215.5, 9 PM ET

The Mavericks are still on life support, but they’re breathing a little better now after avoiding a sweep in Game 4. Returning to Golden State with a chance to further extend this series, I don’t really love their chances. The Warriors got the obligatory loss in a closeout game out the way, and they’re undefeated at home this postseason. I think they’ll cover this spread.

Who’s in and out?

— Otto Porter (foot) is questionable

Shootaround

Joel Embiid’s tweet about the Heat Wednesday sent Twitter into a frenzy, but it might’ve just been a troll job
Pat Riley and Alonzo Mourning’s faces told the whole story of Celtics-Heat, and fans couldn’t stop laughing
The Cavaliers want to retain Collin Sexton after an incredibly successful season without the young guard, HoopsHype’s Michael Scotto is reporting
— Colorado State’s David Roddy believes he brings a “very unique set of skills” as an NBA prospect

Gannett may earn revenue from Tipico for audience referrals to betting services. Tipico has no influence over nor are any such revenues in any way dependent on or linked to the newsrooms or news coverage. See Tipico.com for Terms and Conditions. 21+ only. Gambling problem? Call 1-800-GAMBLER (NJ), 1-800-522-4700 (CO), 1-800-BETS-OFF (IA).

Jayson Tatum’s scoring prop is a good bet for bounceback Game 4 of Heat-Celtics

Tatum usually has a big game after losses.

Jayson Tatum struggled big time in the Boston Celtics’ Game 3 loss to the Miami Heat, matching a postseason-low 10 points on just 3-of-14 shooting from the field. Had he simply played a game closer to his average of about 27 points, the Celtics would’ve had a great chance to come out on top in a game they lost by just six points.

Of course, Miami’s hellacious defense played a part in his performance. The Heat led by as much as 26, and despite allowing Boston to come all the way back within a point in the fourth quarter, they held Tatum to two points and zero field goals in the second half.

However, recent evidence suggests Tatum will bounce back in a big way in Game 4. He’s averaging 10 more points per game following losses than he does after wins this postseason. So assuming he has no lingering effects from a cervical nerve impingement, his prop to score more than 27.5 points on Tipico Sportsbook is a good bet.

Following Boston’s previous four losses, Tatum bounced back to score 29, 30, 46 and 27 for an average of 33 points. That’s up from 23.8 after wins this postseason, which includes their first-round sweep of the Nets where he averaged 29. If you subtract that series, he’s only averaging 21 after wins.

Miami’s defense isn’t going to just lay down and let him score 30, but that wasn’t the case in Games 1 and 2 either when he scored 29 and 27, respectively. And he might have scored more in Game 2 (after a loss in Game 1) had it not been such a blowout — he had 20 at the half. His other three games after losses were in the second round against the Milwaukee Bucks, who also had a strong defense. Yet, Tatum still found a way to drop 46 on them in Game 6.

Tatum is such a talented scorer that his output is usually dictated by whether he’s on or off more than it is the other team. So far in these playoffs, he’s simply been on after losses more. It’s been good for the Celtics, who haven’t dropped back-to-back games yet. And it should be good for bettors, who have a chance to capitalize.

[listicle id=1897317]

[mm-video type=video id=01g3ezvy0drwac8rbcsz playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g3ezvy0drwac8rbcsz/01g3ezvy0drwac8rbcsz-71e81337a7599f79edadef54b9cd7b96.jpg]

How to bet Celtics vs. Heat Game 2 with Al Horford available to play

Will Al Horford be the difference in Game 2?

If you’ve watched any Boston Celtics basketball games this year, you know how impactful of a player Al Horford is.

Heck, you know that even if you only started paying attention to the Celtics during the playoffs. Horford bodied up on defense and made life as miserable as possible for Giannis Antetokounmpo during the Bucks-Celtics series and even chipped in a playoff career-high 30 points during those battles.

But Big Al’s impact was not felt in Boston’s Game 1 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals thanks to landing in the league’s health and safety protocols prior to the series tipoff.

Now, he is officially back in the lineup for Game 2.

The C’s played their worst defensive game of the playoffs and also allowed the most points they have all postseason (118) in the Game 1 loss.

Horford’s presence, along with both teams having a better feel for one another after Game 1, will likely lead to a lower-scoring game. It might be a good idea to take the under 206.5 point total at Tipico Sportsbook. It would also be wise to look at Horford’s 7.5-rebound prop. He’s grabbed at least eight boards in seven straight games and has only pulled in fewer than that in three of the 11 playoff games he’s appeared in this postseason.

Overall, the Celtics are in a more favorable position to steal a road win with Horford and potentially Marcus Smart back in the lineup.

Game 2 should be great.

[mm-video type=video id=01g3ev7j25qgc8hyhn56 playlist_id=none player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01g3ev7j25qgc8hyhn56/01g3ev7j25qgc8hyhn56-687a5b10445519e0a0c7a189cfc17f8d.jpg]
[listicle id=1898896]

How to bet the Celtics-Heat heavyweight battle in the Eastern Conference Finals

This is going to be a slugfest.

The NBA playoffs have been absolutely impossible to predict from game to game. A team that gets blown out by 40 on one night might come back to win by 15 the next.

Despite that winding road, the East has landed a chalk series in the conference finals, with the top two seeds set to square off in what’s sure to be a heavyweight battle. Like the rest of the playoffs, I think each individual game between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat will be completely unpredictable, but in the end, the series favorite will ultimately prevail, and that’s the Celtics. They’re healthier right now, and I like their defense a little better because of how battle-tested it’s been in these playoffs.

There isn’t much value in picking Boston to advance at -170 odds on Tipico Sportsbook, so unless you like the top-seeded Heat at +135, the better play is picking how many games the series will go. After seeing the Milwaukee Bucks down an All-Star push Boston to seven games, I think that’s a good bet to happen again at +200 odds. Those odds improve if you pick a winner, with +500 on the Celtics to win in seven.

Prince’s Pick: Celtics win series 4-3 (+500)

All odds via Tipico

[tipico]

Jaylen Brown explains why the Miami Heat are such challenging opponents

Jaylen Brown shared his excitement for the upcoming Eastern Conference Finals match-up between the Miami Heat and Boston Celtics.

The Boston Celtics are headed back to the Eastern Conference Finals to take on the Miami Heat, a rematch of the 2020 matchup down in the NBA’s Orlando Bubble. This time around, both the Celtics and the Heat look even more formidable. With the additions of Kyle Lowry and a surprising Victor Oladipo, this Miami club is will give Boston everything they can handle.

The Heat won 53 games during the regular season, earning the top seed in the East. Miami finished the year with the fourth-best defensive rating and the sixth-best net rating in the league. Following Sunday’s Game 7 victory over the Bucks, Jaylen Brown was asked about the coming Conference Finals. He made it clear how much he and the Celtics respect Miami.

“Tough team. Team full of dogs. Guys is not gonna give up, guys is not gonna give you anything, not an inch. So we got to go out and play with poise, play with the same mindset, to fight, because I expect nothing less than a great battle.”

Later in his post-game press conference, Brown offered a little more about the upcoming match-up between the Celtics and Heat. Said Brown:

“I think that we are prepared, I think that we’re ready to take that next step. We just got to go out and take it. I know Miami is a team that’s waiting for us. They’re not going to back down and not gonna give up. And neither are we. I’m looking forward to it.”

Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals begins Tuesday night in Miami.

NBA announces new trophies for conference champions, Most Valuable Players

Two fo the new awards have been named for Celtics legends.

The NBA announced on Thursday that it is expanding its universe of annual hardware awarded to the best of the best in the Eastern and Western Conference semifinals at the individual and team levels along. With it comes a minor reboot of the appearance of the coveted Larry O’Brien trophy for winning the 2022 NBA title and the Finals Most Valuable Player (MVP) trophy, named for Boston Celtics legend Bill Russell.

Two of the four new awards bear the names of Boston legends to join Russell’s Finals MVP, with the league creating conference finals awards named for Los Angeles Lakers legend Magic Johnson (West), and for Celtics icon Larry Bird (East).

The NBA will also award a conference champion trophy to the top team from each conference, with the West being named after Milwaukee Bucks champion Oscar Robertson (the Bucks were in the West in his era) and Boston point guard luminary Bob Cousy.

Let’s take a look at the new trophies.