Nets vs. Celtics Game 2 NBA Playoffs Odds and Preview – April 20th, 2022

By Hank Blaine • April 19, 2022

It’s not often you see an NBA playoff game end on a buzzer-beater and even more rare when that buzzer-beater is a layup, but that’s how the Boston Celtics rallied to beat the visiting Brooklyn Nets in Game 1 of their Eastern Conference playoff series. Game 2 is Wednesday from Boston.

After blowing a 15-point third-quarter lead, the Celtics found themselves down one point with time running out in Game 1 on Sunday and it looked as if the C’s were discombobulated offensively — Jaylen Brown dribbled toward the middle and swung the ball out to Marcus Smart. He pump-faked, then fired a pass into a cutting Jayson Tatum, who spun around and dropped in his layup just before time expired. All five Celtics touched the ball on the possession.

“I’ve always been told you have more time than you realize you have,” Smart said. “I was about to throw it to Al [Horford] off the dribble, and I saw JT cut at the last minute.”

According to Tatum, he thought Smart would simply shoot a three-pointer. Tatum’s layup was his first ever true game-winner and it capped off a 31-point performance for the All-Star. He also had eight assists and four rebounds while shooting 9-for-18 from the field, 3-for-7 from behind the arc, and 10-for-12 from the free-throw line.

“We all thought Smart was going to shoot it,” Tatum said. “When he took that dribble, we made eye contact, he made a great pass and I just had to make a layup.”

Nitrobetting is more than ready for the postseason. Find a full preview of the Nets vs. Celtics game below. We present you with game details, team and player stats, the latest NBA betting odds, trends, and predictions–all of which help you lock in on the best picks.

Nets vs. Celtics Game 2 Information

When: Wednesday, April 20, 2022, 7:00 PM ET
Where: TD Garden, Boston, MA
TV: TNT
Radio: KTAR 98.7 FM (Nets) / KLRZ 100.3 FM (Celtics)
Live Stream: NBA League Pass
NBA Betting Odds: Nets (+4) / Celtics (-4)

Why Bet on the Brooklyn Nets?

While Ben Simmons might play for the Nets in this series when it shifts to Brooklyn, he will not debut in Game 2. Simmons has been cleared for contact amid his rehab from a herniated disk in his back.

Brooklyn is the No. 7 seed in the East. Since the NBA playoffs expanded to eight teams in each conference (1984), five No. 7 seeds have earned a playoff series win. The last No. 7 seed to beat a No. 2 was the 2010 Spurs, who were then swept in the next round, 4-0, by the No. 3 seed Phoenix Suns. The Suns featured Nets head coach Steve Nash, Nets guard Goran Dragic and Nets player development assistant Amar’e Stoudemire.

The furthest a No. 7 seed has advanced was the 1987 Seattle SuperSonics, who made a run to the Western Conference Finals, falling 4-0 to the No. 1 seed and eventual NBA champion Los Angeles Lakers.

Why Bet on the Boston Celtics?

What a great 24 hours or so for Smart as he was named NBA Defensive Player of the Year on Monday. He got 257 votes to finish ahead of three-time winner Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz (136 total votes) and small forward Mikal Bridges (202 votes) of the Phoenix Suns. Smart is the first guard to be named NBA Defensive Player of the Year since Gary Payton in the 1995-96 season. Smart is also the second player to win the award with the Celtics, joining Kevin Garnett (2007-08).

In part thanks to Smart, Boston defended two superstars to perfection on its final defensive possession of the game. First, it stopped Kyrie Irving. Then, it stopped Kevin Durant. An Al Horford rebound of a Durant late miss gave Boston a chance to win the game on the final possession of the game, and that’s exactly what it did. Ime Udoka chose not to call a timeout, instead allowing the C’s play in transition. Horford logged the game’s only double-double, with 20 points and a game-high 15 rebounds.

Even with all the excitement from the closing moments of Sunday’s win, there is the fact that the Celtics nearly blew it. They let a big second-half lead slip away, and while they contained Durant, they let Irving go nuts in the fourth quarter. Durant does not have bad games often. Sunday’s 23-point showing was his lowest postseason output in a Nets uniform, and his .375 shooting percentage was the second-worst of his Brooklyn tenure. He also had six turnovers in his 41 minutes.

Nets vs. Celtics Betting Trends

Nets are 10-3-1 ATS in their last 14 road games.
Nets are 2-6 ATS in their last 8 games overall.
The total went under in 6 of Brooklyn’s last 8 games.
Celtics are 6-1 ATS in their last 7 games following a straight up win.
Celtics are 4-1 ATS in their last 5 games overall.
The total went over in 11 of Boston’s last 13 games.

Nets vs. Celtics Expert Betting Prediction

Nets cover again.

This is just one of the many sports betting guides that you can read here at Nitrobetting news. Stay tuned for more NBA game previews and articles and don’t forget to check out the latest Basketball betting odds on the sportsbook.

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*All odds stated are subject to change without prior notice.