- The Miami Heat upset the Boston Celtic 109-103 as six points spread underdogs in Game 3 of the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals.
- Miami now leads the series 2-1 but they are still the -105 underdogs to advance to the 2022 NBA Finals.
- The Heat have opened as +7 point underdogs in Game 4 on Monday in Boston.
The Miami Heat probably felt the disrespect after watching the best NBA betting sites install them as +6 points spread and +200 Moneyline underdogs for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
Sure, the Heat lost Game 2 at home in a blowout. But Miami also dominated Boston in Game 1, winning by double-digits. Game 3 was played at the TD Garden but it’s not a place where the Heat have not won before. Miami proved the oddsmakers and doubters very wrong with a superb bounce-back performance on Saturday night.
Bounced Back
Bounced back. pic.twitter.com/8bLSmKNpjv
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) May 22, 2022
“Bounced back” are the perfect two words to describe the Miami Heat on Saturday night. The Heat were blown out of their building by a red-hot shooting Celtics team in Game 2. They returned the favor in Game 3 by racing to a 39-18 lead at the end of the first quarter and leading comfortably for most of the game before the Celtics cut the lead to 92-93 in the closing minutes of the game.
Bam Adebayo, who notoriously disappeared in Game 2 and who had scored just a total of 16 points in the first two games of the series, also bounced back with his best game of the 2022 playoffs. Adebayo didn’t just play so well in Game 3 but he dominated the Celtics as he led the Heat with 31 points, 10 rebounds, 6 assists, four steals, and one block with only one turnover. Adebayo was so impressive that he cashed the over on his scoring (13.5 points) and passing (2.5 assists) prop bets at the end of the first half.
The Heat played without main man Jimmy Butler in the second half due to knee inflammation. Miami was up by 15 points 62-47 at the half and kept that lead 87-72 at the end of three quarters even without Butler. The Celtics threw several comeback bids at Miami, but the Heat repulsed each rally and beat Boston 109-103 to take a 2-1 series lead and reclaim the home-court advantage.
Butler Injury Not Considered Serious
Jimmy Butler Knee Injury Not Considered Serious, May Not Miss Next Game https://t.co/L7kLDag0z6
— RealGM (@RealGM) May 22, 2022
Adebayo and the Heat showed a lot of grit without Butler but it’s hard to see the Heat winning the series if Butler’s injury will be an issue moving forward. However, according to league insiders, the injury is not considered serious and Butler is not expected to miss Game 4 which will be played on Monday in Boston. Despite that, the best NBA betting sites have listed the Heat as bigger underdogs in Game 4.
According to online sportsbook BetOnline, Miami is a +7 spread underdog in Game 4, which is one point more than their Game 3 odds. This opening line isn’t just surprising, it’s a disrespect to the Heat who are not just the top-seed in the East but are also up 2-1 in the series and with home-court advantage back. Miami is still also the -105 underdog to win the series despite needing only two wins to eliminate the Celtics.
There’s no question how good the Celtics are. Boston was also down 2-1 and even 3-2 against the defending champions Milwaukee Bucks but each time their backs were against the proverbial wall, the Celtics have found ways to overcome adversity and emerge victorious. The stakes are much higher this time around though and it remains to be seen if Jayson Tatum will have another big bounce-back performance as he’s done in the past.
