All eight of the NBA’s first-round playoff series have completed one game. There have been some surprises, such as Utah falling to Memphis and Dallas pulling away late to hang onto a win over the Clippers. There have also been the outcomes that we expected, such as Brooklyn opening their series against Boston with a win and Philadelphia managing the Washington Wizards in their opener.
Let’s take a look at the first two Game 2’s in the Eastern Conference as you consider your NBA betting for the week.
NBA News: Eastern Conference Playoff Update (First Round)
Monday, May 24
Miami Heat at Milwaukee Bucks, Game 2 (7:30 pm ET, TNT)
Bucks lead, 1-0
It looked like the Miami Heat might deliver yet another postseason dagger to the Milwaukee Bucks, but Khris Middleton kept that from happening with a jump shot coming with a half-second left in overtime, scoring 27 overall to help Milwaukee deliver a 109-107 win. During the fourth quarter and overtime, neither team led by more than four points. This is the Bucks’ shot at revenge from a year ago, when they entered the postseason as the top overall seed but fell to the Heat in just five games in the second round.
Goran Dragic led the Heat with 25 points and tied the game with a three-ball from the corner with 20.6 seconds remaining. However, the Bucks had plenty of chances to keep overtime from even happening. Giannis Antetokounmpo went 2 for 5 from the free throw line in the last 1:06 of the fourth period, and he had a sixth throw taken away because he committed a ten-second violation. He did have a sleeve on his left arm after an apparent elbow injury as the fourth quarter wound down. Thanks to those misses, Jimmy Butler was able to send the game to an extra frame with a layup past Antetokounmpo just before the buzzer. Dragic tied the game again in the last minute of overtime, but then Middleton drained his jumper from 19 feet with Duncan Robinson’s hand in his face. Robinson had 24 points for the Heat, going 7 of 13 from downtown, and setting a Miami playoff record for most made three-pointers in a game.
Three-point shooting was an issue, as Miami went 20 of 50, while Milwaukee made only 5 of 31 attempts from behind the arc. Jrue Holiday was 0 for 5 from downtown but still put up 20 points and 11 rebounds. Milwaukee focused on the inside, outscoring Miami 56-24 in the paint and winning the rebounding battle, 64-51. Can the Bucks make life easier on themselves in Game 2? They are only 2-8 in franchise history against Miami in the playoffs.
Final Score Prediction:
Miami 108, Milwaukee 103
Tuesday, May 25
Boston Celtics at Brooklyn Nets (7:30 pm ET, TNT)
Nets lead, 1-0
In the early going in Game 1, Boston had Brooklyn’s Big Three on their heels, but then the second half came, and James Harden, Kyrie Irving and Kevin Durant all found their footing. Durant had 32 points and a dozen boards for the game, and Irving put up 29. Harden had 21 points, nine boards and eight assists in a 104-93 Brooklyn win. The Big Three clanked all 11 of the three-point shots they took in the first half, but then they started the second half on an 18-4 run that got things going the Nets’ way. In the third period, Brooklyn scored 31 points as a team, and the Big Three had 28 of those points.
For Boston, Jayson Tatum put up 22 points but just was 6 of 20 for the game. He did not get close to that transcendent level he had in his 50-point night against Washington in the play-in tournament, when the Celtics nabbed the seventh seed. Boston only had 40 points after halftime and shot 37 percent from the floor for the contest. Marcus Smart added 17 points for the Celtics, and Robert Williams III almost had a triple-double for Boston, with 11 points, nine boards and nine blocks. The Nets now have an eight-game winning streak going against Boston and are 9-2 overall, including a six-game series win in the 2002 East finals and a sweep in the East semifinals the next year.
Final Score Prediction:
Brooklyn 106, Boston 100
NBA Betting Odds
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