Brooklyn vs. Boston Predictions: NBA Playoffs Game 2

The Boston Celtics had one of the most dramatic playoff victories in their storied history on Sunday in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference first-round playoff series against the Brooklyn Nets, and NBA oddsmakers favor the Celtics to win again at home in Game 2.

How to Bet Nets at Celtics NBA Odds & TV Info

When: Wednesday, 7 PM ET
Where: TD Garden
TV: TNT
Stream: TNT app
Radio: Tunein.com
NBA Odds: Celtics -3.5 (total 226)

Why Bet on Brooklyn?

The Nets nearly stole Game 1 in Boston despite a not-great game from Kevin Durant. Durant shot 9-of-24 from the field and 4-of-5 from the foul line for 23 points with four rebounds. He also turned the ball over six times. Boston’s approach to defending Durant in this series was made clear from the start, with the on-ball defender making sure to crowd him at every opportunity.

“They did a good job forcing me away, helping in the paint. I just have to be more fundamental in my moves,” Durant said. “Some shots went in and out for me. I played fast and turned the ball over. I’ve just got to slow down and play my game. But they did a good job of making me see bodies.”

He missed a shot in the waning seconds that would have given Brooklyn a three-point lead. Durant did become the 13th player in NBA history to hit the 30,000-point mark in regular-season and playoff games, combined.

Kyrie Irving was spectacular with 39 points, six assists and five rebounds while sparring with the Boston fans. He was fined $50,000 by the NBA after he flipped off several Celtics fans on two occasions during Sunday’s Game 1. Irving, who played for Boston for two seasons from 2017 to 2019, said Sunday that he has gotten used to getting booed by Celtics fans since leaving the team.

“When people start yelling ‘p—y’ or ‘b—-‘ and ‘f— you’ and all this stuff, there’s only but so much you take as a competitor,” Irving said. “We’re the ones expected to be docile and be humble, take a humble approach, f— that, it’s the playoffs. This is what it is.”

Nicolas Claxton finished Sunday’s loss 13 13 points and eight rebounds. HE was the better of the Nets’ two options at the center position in Game 1, as starter Andre Drummond (eight points, four rebounds) only played 17 minutes. However, he was a liability at the foul line, making just one of his five attempts. That may open the door for LaMarcus Aldridge (DNP-CD in Game 1) to re-enter the rotation.

Goran Dragic posted a line of 14 points and five rebounds. With starter Seth Curry (9/2/6 with one 3-pointer in 30 minutes) not offering much in the way of scoring, Dragic’s production was one of the underlying reasons why the Nets had a shot at stealing Game 1.

Steve Nash told reporters on Tuesday that Ben Simmons has been cleared for contact and did 4-on-4 work on Monday. Simmons hasn’t played this season and won’t in Game 2 but perhaps by Game 4.

Why Bet on Boston?

Jayson Tatum made a layup at the buzzer on a pass from Marcus Smart to give Boston the dramatic 115-114 victory on Sunday. The Celtics were down by one point with 15 seconds remaining when they forced Kevin Durant into a missed 3-point shot, which Al Horford corralled off the rim to give the Celtics one last chance. Rather than using his last timeout to set up a final play, Ime Udoka placed his faith in his players to make the right decision on the fly, and they trusted his confidence in them.

“You’ve got to give credit to Ime for trusting us in that situation with one timeout to just go,” said Smart, who delivered 20 points, seven rebounds, six assists, and two steals. “That’s a big confidence builder for us. The coach trusted us to go out there and make a play and be basketball players.”

Tatum’s spinning layup at the buzzer was — perhaps not surprisingly — the last thing that Celtics players thought would happen. According to Tatum, he thought Smart would simply shoot a three-pointer. But Smart pump-faked a few Nets and fired a pass to Tatum with time running out. All five Celtics touched the ball on the final possession.

Tatum shot 9-of-18 from the field and 10-of-12 from the foul line for 31 points. If there’s a concern for Boston it’s the workload that Tatum had to take on, as he played a game-high 45 minutes. With this series having the look of one that will go long, Udoka may look to cut Tatum’s minutes slightly in Game 2. Dating back to last postseason, Tatum has four straight 30-point games in the playoffs, matching Larry Bird in 1987 for the longest such streak in Celtics history.

Horford logged 41-plus minutes during Game 1 and was outstanding throughout the duration of that action. He compiled a monster double-double of 20 points to go along with a game-high 15 rebounds. To put that rebounding total into perspective, no other player in the game grabbed more than eight boards.

Jaylen Brown tallied 23 points, five rebounds and four steals. The contest featured 20 lead changes and 15 ties. Boston led by as many as 15 points, while Brooklyn’s largest lead was just five.

Smart was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. Smart became the first perimeter player to earn the recognition since Gary Payton in 1995-96 and fittingly, the Hall-of-Fame point guard and former Celtic was on hand to present the trophy.