Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Bet Builder Tips: Wednesday, April 20th

The Boston Celtics welcome the Brooklyn Nets to TD Garden tonight at 00:00 (UK time) for Game 2 of their playoff series. Game 1 was a tight affair, with the Celtics running away with the 1-point dub in the final seconds. It will be interesting to see what the coaches have changed for Game 2, as both sides had their share of defensive lapses. Take a look at my analysis for Game 2 and my Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Bet Builder Tips in the article below.

In this article: 

• Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Analysis
• Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Bet Builder Tips

Game 1 of the series saw a close 115-114 victory for the Boston Celtics, as Marcus Smart sent a last-second assist to Jayson Tatum in the paint to finish the game with a wide-open layup due to a lazy reach by Kyrie Irving. The result was even at halftime, but the Celtics went off in the 3rd quarter for 35 points and made sure to keep the game within reach until the end. Jayson Tatum was the top scorer for the Celtics with 31 points, followed by Jaylen Brown with 23, and Horford and Smart with 20 apiece. For the Nets, Kyrie led the way with 39 points, followed by Kevin Durant, who overcame a low start and went for 23.

Even during the regular season, the Boston Celtics were one of the best defensive sides in the league, ranking 2nd in defensive rating and allowing just 104.5 points per game (1st in NBA). They kept opponents to a collective field goal percentage of just 43.4%, ranking them top of the league in that regard, whilst also netting 5.8 blocks per game. Their tough defence was more than evident in Game 1, as their defenders bother both Kyrie and KD whenever the situation allowed. Unfortunately, their use of drop coverage on Kyrie allowed him to get hot from beyond the arc, and this is something Ime Udoka will have to adjust for Game 2.

Get more tips for this match on our Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets tips page

Steve Nash will also have to make some adjustments, as his team committed 16 turnovers with just 20 assists, and were outrebounded 43-29. Their top rebounder Andre Drummond only played 17 minutes and grabbed 4 boards, but I don’t believe Nash will play him more minutes in this game due to his lack of lateral movement and ability to defend the pick&roll. The Nets struggled to defend even during the regular season, ranking 19th in defensive rating and allowing 112.1 points per game. This isn’t something they can just change from one game to another, and despite Game 1 being so close, the Nets simply don’t have the team defence to be able to contend in the playoffs.

These two teams faced each other 4 times during the regular season, with Boston taking the victory in their last 3 games. The Celtics are the better team in this one, and I expect them t take care of business in the series. They played like a playoff team all season long with a slow pace, elite defence and efficient offence. They aren’t even bad candidates to win the conference at 4.20 odds. The Nets are definitely a tough team, with both KD and Kyrie being extremely gifted scorers, but when it comes down to playing defence against the Cs, they are always a step slow. The Celtics are favoured to win at 1.62 odds, and the spread is set at 3.5 points.

Boston Celtics vs Brooklyn Nets Bet Builder Tips

• Celtics -3.5
• Drummond Under 9.5 Rebounds
• Seth Curry Over 1.5 Assists
• Marcus Smart Over 2.5 Turnovers

Bet Builder is available at 11.45 odds 

As mentioned above, the Celtics are the better team in this match-up, and if Ime Udoka can make a few adjustments, they should have o problems covering the spread. Their dominance defensively and on the boards is a huge advantage, as well as home territory, and I expect this to be enough to get them over the edge.

Drummond played just 17 minutes in Game 1 and grabbed just 4 rebounds. Meanwhile, Nick Claxton showed up for a  13 point, 8 rebound and 3 blocks performance. Don’t be surprised if Steve Nash rewards him with more playing time, keeping Drummond well below the 9.5 rebound average. Drummond is slow and a defensive liability,

The Nets relied on Seth Curry for a lot of their ball distribution last game and he delivered 6 assists. Curry averaged 1.5 assists this season and started all 19 of his games played for the Nets. The ball goes through his hands a lot, and with the defensive constant pressure on Kyrie and KD, he is a shoo-in for the over in assists.

Marcus Smart has averaged  2.2 turnovers in 32.3 minutes per game this year. Ime Udoka increased his minutes to 36 in Game 1 and he played very well, pouring in 20 points, 6 assists and 7 rebounds. However, this also led to more mistakes, and Smart finished the game with 3 turnovers. I expect another good performance this time around, but the increase in minutes and touches will likely lead to more mistakes. Sorry, Marcus!

Odds via Bet365. Correct as at 2 pm on 20th April 2022. Odds may now differ.

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