- A bettor from Louisiana won $660,000 on a $550,000 bet on the Boston Celtics to win Game 2 of the 2022 ECF at +120 ML odds.
- With Marcus Smart and Al Horford back, the Celtics beat the Miami Heat 127-102 on Thursday night.
- Smart did it all in his return with 24 points, 12 assists, 9 rebounds, 3 steals and one blocked shot.
A bettor at Caesars Sportsbook turned a $550,000 bet into a $1,210,000 payout after the Boston Celtics defeated the Miami Heat in Game 2 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
Before the game, the said online betting site reported receiving the $550,000 bet in Louisiana on the Celtics to win Game 2 at +120 ML odds.
Boston lost Game 1 to Miami 118-107 and entered Friday’s Game 2 as +3.5 point spread underdogs. The Celtics also closed at +115 at the Moneyline betting market.
Marcus Smart and Al Horford Return
.@smart_MS3 and @Al_Horford return ⤵️ pic.twitter.com/blAvLjTlhg
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 20, 2022
The Celtics were bolstered by the return of 2022 Defensive Player of the Year winner Marcus Smart and big man Al Horford. Both Smart and Horford missed Game 1 for Boston as Smart was out with a foot sprain while Horford was a late scratch after testing positive for COVID-19 hours before the game.
Despite playing without two starters, the Celtics took an early 13-point lead and were up by 8 points at the half. But when Jimmy Butler took over in the third quarter, the Celtics did not have two of their best defenders to weather the storm. Butler ran amok and scored a game-high 41 points to lead the Heat to victory.
In Game 2, both Smart and Horford returned and the Celtics’ vaunted defense returned to form. Boston held Miami to only 45 points in the first half while lighting it up from the three-point country. The Celtics led by 26 at the half and never looked back to take a 127-102 win in Miami and steal home-court advantage from the Heat.
Marcus Smart Did it All in His Return
Marcus Smart did it all in his return to the lineup for Game 2 💪 pic.twitter.com/w8j18OWOCS
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) May 20, 2022
Smart did it all in his return. The newly-named NBA Defensive Player of the Year barely missed a triple-double with 24 points, 9 rebounds, and 12 assists. Smart also had three steals and one blocked shot while holding the Heat to 3-11 FG shooting as the primary defender. Smart’s defense on Jimmy Butler in the first half made Butler ineffective when the Celtics started to pull away from the Heat.
Meanwhile, Horford also did his part for Boston, scoring 10 points on 4-4 shooting, including 2-2 from three-point distance, with 3 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal, and 1 block in 3 minutes of action. Horford was also a menace on defense as the Heat were 2-9 from the field with four turnovers with Horford as the primary defender. Bam Adebayo was held down to only six points on 3-6 shooting with Horford patrolling the shaded lane.
With the win, the Celtics head to Boston with a split and now have a chance to take a crucial 2-1 lead in Game 3, where they have opened as a -6.5 point spread and -265 Moneyline favorites at the BetOnline App. The series odds have also significantly shifted in Boston’s direction. From a +135 before Game 2, the Celtics are now a sizable -285 to win the Eastern Conference Finals. They have also moved back to second behind the Golden State Warriors in the title odds boards at +155 with the Dubs currently listed at +110
