How to Bet on Game 2 of Celtics vs. Warriors: What Does Boston’s 4th-Quarter Heroics Tell Us About Game 2?

The NBA Finals commenced with a back-and-forth physical battle of styles in Game 1.

Steph Curry came out of the gates blazing hot from downtown, hitting six of eight threes while putting up 21 points in the first quarter.

He relentlessly attacked Robert Williams in screen-and-roll offense. The young athletic center played a dropped-back soft coverage and Curry took full advantage of it.

The Warriors would only lead by 4 points after the first quarter, even with the flurry of threes. 

The Celtics were able to dig their heels in defensively in the second quarter. The length and physicality of their switching started to have an impact.

They forced 7 turnovers and would eventually take the lead into halftime. 

The Warriors’ unorthodox motion offense full of guard screens, split cuts and back-door actions took over in the third quarter. Jayson Tatum struggled with his offensive scoring, as he finished three of 17 from the field.

The Celtics stayed with their two big lineups in Williams and Al Horford. Together they both can be too slow to get around the necessary screens it takes to defend the Warriors off the ball.

It catapulted the Warriors to put up a 38-point third quarter and take an 11-point lead into the final frame. 

A Deciding Fourth Quarter 

As Curry got his standard rest to start the fourth, the Celtics made a run led by Jaylen Brown.

Brown scored 10 points in the quarter — his aggression and playmaking spearheading the attack that quickly cut the lead down. 

Who would blink first and go small was a decisive factor in this series.

Boston blinked and kept only one center in the game in the fourth. This opened up Boston’s offensive attack, keeping the Warriors spread out on coverages. Even forcing them into some zone to slow down the offense.

Tatum struggled with his shot but was able to pick on small guard matchups and kick out for open threes. He would accumulate 13 assists, including 4 in the fourth quarter. 

The story of the fourth is the Celtics defense and hot shooting.

After a back-and-forth scoring barrage, the Celtics defense locked into its assignments. They picked up tendencies and making minimal mistakes on the constant off-ball actions.

The Warriors stayed with their big lineup, which is with both Draymond Green and Kevon Looney on the floor.

Boston completely disregarded both of them and increased the point of attack aggression.

They did a supreme job of face guarding Curry, not allowing him any separation on screens. The man guarding Green would cheat over and make life tough on the ball handler.

The switching and hard chasing over the top discouraged the screening game, leading to isolation basketball and almost a full five-minute drought without scoring.

It propelled Boston to a 17-0 run during that time and Golden State would score a lowly 16 points in the quarter.

The Warriors would also eventually blink and downsize, but continued to play non-offensive threats. Green and Andre Iguodala shared the floor, allowing Boston to have two guys they could completely ignore.

This is something the Warriors will have to address, and playing more Otto Porter could be the answer. He was four for five from three, and gives enough switch-ability and rebounding in a small-ball lineup. 

The Celtics went berserk from three to close the game.

Boston went nine for 12 in the quarter, leading the charge for a 40-16 scoring advantage. Ten of the 12 threes were of the open variety, where the closest defender is 4-to-6-plus feet away.

The playmaking of Brown and Tatum with the spacing Horford provided was a tough cover.

The Warriors don’t want to give up the switches of Curry and Jordan Poole on the wings of Boston, causing a chain reaction of open shots.

Horford, Smart and White combined for 15 threes, including six in the fourth quarter.

Whether they shoot like this again remains to be seen, but the Warriors will want to limit the number of open looks they give up. 

Celtics vs. Warriors Game 2 Pick, Prediction

The Warriors will likely bounce back on their home court in Game 2, but the fourth quarter of Game 1 says this defense from Boston is legit.

They have size, athleticism and cohesion that will need to be solved. The Warriors blew two separate double-digit leads in Game 1 by going on large scoring droughts at a time. 

I am betting on the Warriors taking Game 2 at home to even the series at -185. I would bet this up to -200. 

These are the top two defenses in the playoffs, and as familiarity grows I would expect the offense to come much tougher.

I would bet on the under of 215 in Game 2 at -110. I would bet this up to -130. 

Pick: Warriors Moneyline | -185 at Caesars

Pick: Under 215 | -110 at Caesars