NBA Playoffs 2022, Sunday, 15.05.2022
Incredibly, both NBA Finals participants from last season have to play in a Game 7! Thus, tonight the Boston Celtics host the Milwaukee Bucks in a “Finals” where anything seems possible!
In my Bucks Celtics tip, meanwhile, the duel between the two superstars Antetokounmpo and Tatum takes centre stage. I’m expecting another monster performance from the Greek – regardless of whether it’s enough for the Conference Finals in the end.
This series remains unpredictable! Only my successful Bucks Celtics tip, which I will now apply for the umpteenth time, seems to have some consistency in these wild battles.
42, 34, 40 and most recently 44 – these are in fact my four lucky numbers, or rather the points that Giannis Antetokounmpo has been able to score during his last four appearances.
The attentive reader will certainly have noticed at this point that they all lie beyond the 33.5-point mark.
Especially in the last game, the Greek turned up the heat, converting 44 of the total 85 points, more than half of all points for the defending champions. But the rest of his team let the two-time MVP down again.
However, to blame Giannis Antetokounmpo’s teammates alone for the defeat would not be right. To use an old football phrase: you only play as well as your opponent allows you to.
And to make a connection to my last Bucks Celtics tip: Boston’s defence is incredible. Even in the penultimate game, the C’s had almost all the opposing players well under control – except for their centre, of course.
Antetokounmpo is the only one who is not only able to evade perhaps the best defence of the last ten years, but also to always hit his target – even from the most difficult positions.
In addition, it should be noted that Antetokounmpo grabbed an incredible 20 rebounds, proving once again that he is the man in charge in the zone, both over and over again!
Speaking of Game 7: Especially because it’s the deciding game, you can expect the two-time MVP to give it his all one more time, even if his teammates let him down again.
However, I wouldn’t be shocked at all if the C’s excellent defence knocks the defending champions out of the tournament. Especially since the Bucks, with 25 fouls lately – eight more than Boston – often haven’t known how to help themselves other than a violation of the rules.
But even though the Bucks’ centre scored a massive 44 points, he was far from the best player on the floor. In fact, it was Jayson Tatum who eclipsed him on the opposite end with 46 points.
Much the same can be said for the C’s forward as Antetokounmpo: too good to be taken out of the game. Personally, I expect these two players to turn it up again with strong performances beyond the 30-point mark each.
Because for a success of the guests, significantly higher odds of about 2.50 are offered on average.
By comparison, a home win for the C’s is priced at an average of 1.50 and is therefore not worth the risk in my opinion.
Conclusion: A real treat awaits basketball fans! On the one hand, the defensive artists from Boston and on the other hand, the ruthless defending champions who now have to go full throttle.
The whole thing will develop into a duel between Giannis Antetokounmpo on the one side and Jayson Tatum on the other. Because both superstars simply cannot be taken out of the game by the opposing defence in the long run.
Due to the importance of this game, I expect the visitors in particular to keep looking for their centre, as he is the only one who hits his target with some consistency.
My Celtics Bucks tip: Antetokounmpo over 33.5 points!
