Hiram Moreno
The series moves to the East Coast of the United States after the first two games of the 2022 NBA Finals, as the Golden State Warriors and Boston Celtics continue their quest for the season’s champion.
Unlike Game 1, which was full of contrasts, Game 2 of this series was pretty even and showed that both teams are even, and if it hadn’t been for the Warriors’ offensive outburst in the third quarter, things would be pretty tied now.
Now, both teams will be looking to continue to do their best to avoid going to that dreaded Game 7 at the Chase Center, though that’s something all basketball fans would surely like to see.
NBA Finals 2022: Information, odds and predictions for the Golden State Warriors vs Boston Celtics
- Where: TD Garden – Boston, Mass.
- When: Wednesday, June 8, 9:00 PM E.T
- Betting Line (Serie): Golden State Warriors (-4) vs Boston Celtics (+4).
Golden State Warriors Preview (#3 seed in Western Conference)
- Overall Record: 53-29.
- Record vs. Boston Celtics this season: 2-2.
- Spread (2do Juego): -4.
- Over/Under (2nd Game): Over 213.5.
- Moneyline (2nd Game): -176.
The Warriors won the first two quarters of Game 2 of the series by just one point, but won the third quarter 35-14, what would end up being impossible to overcome for the Boston Celtics. The man of the night was, of course, Stephen Curry, who led the team with a performance of 29 points, 6 rebounds and 4 assists, coupled with good defensive work with three steals.
Three other starters from the Warriors’ starting lineup scored more than 10 points, thus his teammates’ efforts were not to be dismissed. Jordan Poole, who came off the bench and scored 17 points in just 22 minutes, including an unbelievable half-court three-pointer, deserves a special mention.
Much of Golden State’s offense in that final game of the series was based on opponent turnovers, with the Warriors capitalizing on 33 points after 18 Celtics turnovers. It will be critical to maintain what has been accomplished in the paint, where the Warriors scored a total of 40 points, because if they threaten that area of the court they will create up space for Curry to continue doing what he does best, and the bench providing depth will not damage them.
Boston Celtics Preview (#2 Seed in Eastern Conference)
- Overall Record: 51-31.
- Record vs. Golden State Warriors this season: 2-2.
- Spread (2nd Game): +4.
- Over/Under (2nd Game): Over 215.5.
- Moneyline (1st Game): +145.
It was clear that a comeback like the one in the first game of the series is something that happens only once in a lifetime, even more so in these decisive instances, but the truth is that except for the third quarter, the Boston Celtics showed that they are strong candidates for the title as well as the Warriors. The most remarkable thing was seeing that Jayson Tatum can command the offense in these finals , since he had a performance of 28 points, 6 rebounds and 3 assists after a discreet performance in Game 1.
However, other players like Marcus Smart and Al Horford lowered their level in that last game. The former had 18 points, 5 rebounds and 4 assists in Game 1, while in Game 2 his records dropped significantly to 2 points, 2 rebounds and 5 assists. Horford, who had 26 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 assists in Game 1, only had 2 points, 8 rebounds, and 1 assist in Game 2.
Clearly Horford and Smart are role players on this team, but a little more input from them wouldn’t hurt to take some of the weight off Tatum and Brown’s shoulders. Securing the ball will be key, as their 18 turnovers and 15 steals in Game 2 are not something they can afford in this series, and picking up what they did on 3-pointers in Game 1 – where they made more than 50% of their shots – would be positive, but also unlikely.
If you missed Game 2 of the series, don’t miss the highlights here at JefeBet
Predictions for Game 3 of the NBA Finals 2022 – JefeBet
Returning to TD Garden will surely serve as encouragement for the Celtics, although two of their last three performances at this venue saw the team lose to the Heat in the Eastern Conference finals. Still, the Warriors aren’t doing much better, having dropped three of their last four away games this postseason.
With this in mind, we should expect another close game where every opportunity should be taken as if it were the last. With the fans cheering, surely the Celtics could take a lead in this game in order to take the lead in the series.
Statistics to consider: The Warriors averaged 103.5 points in their last four away games this postseason, while the Celtics closed the regular season as the best defense in the league (106.9 points allowed per game), and their average points allowed at home this postseason it is only 100.1.
Pick: Boston Celtics
