The NBA Conference Finals could be over in the next two days as the Denver Nuggets and Miami Heat take a 3-0 lead into Game 4 of their respective series.
The BetDeluxe experts take an in-depth look at both games.
Lakers vs. Nuggets
23rd May 10:30am
The Denver Nuggets will have the chance to close out the Western Conference finals against the Lakers in just four games on Tuesday and book their spot in a maiden NBA Finals series.
It’s been a flawless display from the regular season ladder leaders, who made it three from three with an 11-point victory in LA on Sunday. Nikola Jokic, who dropped 24-6-8, was not required to post another triple-double as Jamal Murray lit up with 37 points for the second straight night. 30 of those points came in a commanding opening half.
The Jokic-Murray combination is the most destructive in the playoffs, with the superstar pair averaging 57.8ppg in the postseason.
LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and Austin Reaves each shot 23+ on the night but found very little assistance from any other teammate. The Lakers will now need to defy history if they are to win this year’s championship, as no team has ever recovered from a 3-0 deficit in NBA post-season history.
While we expect the Nuggets to take out the series, it would be a surprise if the Lakers didn’t win one game at home.
Suggested Bet: Lakers to win @ $1.60
Heat vs. Celtics
24th May 10:30AM
Like Denver, the Heat can progress to the NBA Finals in their next outing against the Celtics after demolishing their higher-ranked opponents by 26 points in Game 3.
Leading 2-0 after back-to-back wins in Boston, the Heat defied the market once more as 29 points from Gabe Vincent led them to within one win of sweeping the series. Jimmy Butler did only what was required of him with 16 points, eight boards and six assists, while Duncan Robinson dropped 22 off the bench.
It was a tough shooting night for all Celtics. Jayson Tatum went at just 33% overall and 1-7 from beyond the arc, while Jaylen Brown shot 0-7 from three-point land. And if those two aren’t making buckets, the Celtics are very little chance of putting up a winnings score.
This will be the first time in the series that the Heat go into the game as favourites, and it’s thoroughly deserved as they look to wrap things up in Miami.
Suggested Bet: Heat to win @ $1.81
