To get my daily picks for the NBA Playoffs emailed directly to your inbox by 1 pm EST, you need to be subscribed to my Newsletter.
The Colorado Avalanche wasted a spectacular night by Nathan McKinnon, a three-goal second-period lead, and a third-period lead with less than a minute remaining. They never should have lost game 5 and I expect them to be a little salty about that fact closing out that series tonight.
The Golden State Warriors finished Luka Doncic and the Mavericks last night. At least I will not have to make any more selections on Dallas this season. The Warriors now have a week off at home to wait for the eastern conference to finish up.
NBA Playoffs: Celtics (-8.5) @ Heat $
Let’s start this by stating how much I hate having to lay (-8.5) points in a playoff game against a quality team like the Heat. I just cannot make any argument to back Miami here.
The Heat have scored just 82 and 80 points in their last two games. That may be the two worst back-to-back shooting games in the entire NBA all season. The Heat were 7-45 (15.6%) shooting from behind the arc in game 5. Kyle Lowry was absolutely horrible in that game with 0 points in 25 minutes. I can only assume that Kyle is injured and should not have even been on the court. Jimmy ‘Buckets’ was not so clutch with just 13 points and I think he is understating his injury as well. The Heat desperately needs Tyler Herro to return to action but he is once again listed as questionable for tonight.
The Celtics have their own injury problems but it does seem they now have all of their starters back in the lineup. They do seem to do figured out the Heat defence as well. The key for the Celtics is limiting their turnovers and not allowing fast-break opportunities. If they can slow down the game by making Miami hit tough shots, the result tonight should be more of the same.
If the Heat cannot manage to score even 90 points, the (-8.5) spread is unlikely to make any difference.
___________________________________________________
Sign up to my Newsletter to get all my daily Best Bets in the NBA playoffs, MLB & UFC delivered directly to your inbox by 1 pm EST daily for just $25 per month. Unsubscribed readers can still enjoy my free picks released regularly during the season or the daily Best Bets released one hour before game time.
I also coach live poker players, helping them win more often. Of course, you can follow more of my NBA writings right here at Last Word on Sports or find me on Twitter to stay up to date on all my latest blogs and helpful tips to grow your bankroll. CloudBet provides NBA Playoffs Odds as of writing time.
