Jayson Tatum shares the importance of the Celtics’ sweep of the Nets in Brooklyn. Tatum says playing such a good team in the first round help them get even more locked in for the series.
Analytics models have pegged the Boston Celtics as the top contender for the 2022 NBA championship for a while now, but oddsmakers haven't been as bullish on the C's chances of winning the Finals during that span.
The gap is closing, though.
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The Celtics completed a stunning and dominant sweep of the Brooklyn Nets on Monday night, closing out their first-round series with a 116-112 win in Game 4 at the Barclays Center.
Boston's defense was outstanding and made Nets star Kevin Durant look average for long stretches of the series. The Celtics still have room for improvement on offense, but it was pretty encouraging for Boston to see its best players -- Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart -- execute so well in high-pressure clutch situations in the fourth quarter of these four games versus the Nets. For example, the C's were able to finish Game 4 despite Tatum fouling out with 2:49 remaining.
Late-game execution was a concern about the Celtics throughout the regular season, but those fears have largely been quelled, at least for the moment.
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Even after sending the Nets home early, the Celtics still have a tough path to the Finals.
They likely will have to beat the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks and Miami Heat to win the Eastern Conference.
If the Bucks eliminate the Chicago Bulls, they'll play the Celtics without homecourt advantage and Khris Middleton for at least a few games. Middleton is out three to four weeks with an MCL injury. His absence is a massive loss for the Bucks and allows the Celtics' elite defense to focus more attention on Milwaukee superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo.
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If the Celtics reached the conference finals and played the Heat, they wouldn't have homecourt advantage. Miami is a well-coached team that plays really hard at both ends of the court. The Heat's defense also is strong, led by versatile center Bam Adebayo. The Celtics did win the season series 2-1 against the Heat and the only loss came with starting center Robert Williams out of the lineup due to injury. Williams made his return in Game 3 of the first round.
So, where do the Celtics rank in the updated title odds? They are No. 2 behind the Golden State Warriors in PointsBet's latest betting lines:
- Golden State Warriors: +275
- Boston Celtics: +350
- Phoenix Suns: +450
- Milwaukee Bucks: +600
- Miami Heat: +750
- Memphis Grizzlies: +1400
- Philadelphia 76ers: +1400
- Dallas Mavericks: +1800
- Utah Jazz: +6600
- Minnesota Timberwolves: +10000