Game 3 of the NBA Finals won’t decide the Boston Celtics-Dallas Mavericks series, but there are 1.5 million reasons to care about it for one bettor.
A $1.5 million wager came in on Boston to win Game 3 of the Finals and take a 3-0 series lead at Hard Rock Bet. The Celtics are underdogs in this game (+105 for this bet, +114 at DraftKings Sportsbook on Wednesday morning), just the second time they’ve been underdogs in the last five months.
If the Celtics win, this bettor will win over $3 million!
Boston has not been an underdog all postseason, and it actually hasn’t been favored by fewer than 6.5 points in any game. Here’s a quick look at the latest odds.
Boston’s odds have gone from +2 to +2.5 over the last 24 hours with the news that Kristaps Porzingis has a new leg injury and is now questionable for Game 3.
It’s been reported that Porzingis will attempt to play, but it’s possible that he’s either unable to go or not nearly as effective due to the injury.
Boston has been dominant on the road this postseason, going 6-0 straight up — which is a great sign for this bettor.
Not only that, but the Celtics have spent most of the playoffs without Porzingis, and yet they’ve only lost two total games.
Oddsmakers are giving Dallas the edge at home in Game 3, but this bettor could end up with an insanely huge pay day if Boston goes up 3-0 on Wednesday night.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
The 2024 NBA Finals tip off on Thursday night, as the Boston Celtics look to add an 11th Larry O'Brien Trophy to their trophy case, while the Dallas Mavericks look to secure the franchise's second-ever NBA title.
For viewing purposes, getting the opportunity to see a seven-game series between the Celtics and Mavericks would be wildly entertaining. It's somewhat uncommon for an NBA Finals series to go the full seven games, however. Throughout history, the NBA Finals has gone the full distance of seven games only 19 times.
Most recently, the 2016 NBA Finals between the Cleveland Cavaliers and Golden State Warriors was decided in seven games, but the past seven championships have been decided quicker than that.
Here's a look at every NBA Finals series that has gone seven games:
YEAR
MATCHUP
1951
Rochester Royals def. New York Knicks
1952
Minneapolis Lakers def. New York Knicks
1954
Minneapolis Lakers def. Syracuse Nationals
1955
Syracuse Nationals def. Fort Wayne Pistons
1957
Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks
1960
Boston Celtics def. St. Louis Hawks
1962
Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers
1966
Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers
1969
Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers
1970
New York Knicks def. Los Angeles Lakers
1974
Boston Celtics def. Milwaukee Bucks
1978
Washington Bullets def. Seattle Supersonics
1984
Boston Celtics def. Los Angeles Lakers
1988
Los Angeles Lakers def. Detroit Pistons
1994
Houston Rockets def. New York Knicks
2005
San Antonio Spurs def. Detroit Pistons
2010
Los Angeles Lakers def. Boston Celtics
2013
Miami Heat def. San Antonio Spurs
2016
Cleveland Cavaliers def. Golden State Warriors
Game 7's have been few and far between in recent history. Since 1995, only four NBA Finals series have reached the coveted seventh game.
Of course, those that have gone the distance have resulted in some iconic moments, including the Cavaliers becoming the first team in league history to overcome a 3â1 deficit in the Finals in '16 against the Warriors.
Of the 19 Game 7's in NBA Finals history, only two have gone to overtime, and none since 1962 when the Celtics took down the Lakers.
The Dallas Mavericks are sizable underdogs in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Boston Celtics, but there are a lot of public bettors that believe Dallas will take this series.
If you also believe thatâs the case, betting on a Mavs player to win Finals MVP is a great way to cash in on some favorable odds since Celtics All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum is the odds on favorite in this market.
Luka Doncic is No. 2 on the list â clearly the top Mavs player entering this series â but there are two dark horses that I think are worth considering if you want to place a small wager on them to win NBA Finals MVP.
There is Doncic, and then there is a massive gap between the rest of the Mavs in this market â and for good reason.
The 2023-24 regular season MVP finalist leads the playoffs in total points, rebounds, assists, steals and 3-pointers made, recording six triple-doubles in 17 games.
Doncic has a massive usage rate, and he looked to bet getting over his knee and ankle injuries â at least when it comes to his scoring â in the Western Conference Finals, scoring 32 or more points in each of Dallasâ four wins.
Jrue Holiday will be a tough and likely matchup for Doncic, but letâs not forget that Luka nearly averaged a triple double in the regular season while putting up 33.9 points per game. Dallas will need him to be otherworldly to win this series, and if he is, heâs going to win Finals MVP.
Kyrie Irving (+2000)
Has there been a bigger revenge series in recent memory than this one for Kyrie Irving?
A former Celtic, Irving has a chance to bury his former team in the Finals, and he is the clear-cut No. 2 option to win Finals MVP on the Mavericks. In fact, no player has shorter than +29000 odds on Dallas after Doncic and Irving.
Kyrieâs scoring would likely be his calling card to propel him in this market, but asking him to outplay Doncic is a tough task, and if he does, doesnât that put Dallas in a tough spot to win the series?
The Mavs need both of their stars to be great in this series, and if thatâs the case, the betting odds suggest Doncic is the clear favorite here. Kyrie could be worth a sprinkle, but his path to a Finals MVP is a little murky outside of him scoring at an all-time rate.
Dereck Lively II (+50000)
The longest of longshots, rookie Dereck Lively II is second on the Mavericks in plus/minus this postseason, and heâs made a massive impact on the defensive end of the floor.
Could Livelyâs defense and rebounding be enough to win this award?
Itâs highly unlikely, but heâs the one Mavs role player Iâd consider given his positive impact on a game-to-game basis for the Mavs. Plus, if Lively wins the matchup with Kristaps Porzingis (Daniel Gafford will start for Dallas but Lively will probably close) late in games, it could be crucial to Dallas pulling off an upset.
Donât break the bank betting on him, but for the sake of this exercise, heâd be my No. 3 choice.
Odds refresh periodically and are subject to change.
If you or someone you know has a gambling problem and wants help, call 1-800-GAMBLER.
Returning to the Boston lineup for the first time in more than five weeks, Porzingis was outstanding, finishing Game 1 with 20 points (on 8 for 13 shooting), six rebounds and three blocks. Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Porzingis made an immediate impact, racking up 11 points in the first seven minutes, helping the Celtics build a 37â20 lead.
âEven if I have time off, I can jump right back in and I feel the same way,â Porzingis said. âI get to my spots, so whether itâs playoffs, regular season or whatever, I know how to do this. Thatâs it, just having that confidence, going out there whatever, first round or Finals, just going out there with full confidence and giving what I have to the team.â
As solid as Boston was during the conference playoffsâand the Celtics lost just one game after Porzingis went out in the first round with a calf injuryâPorzingisâs return clearly makes Boston measurably better. Porzingis torched the Mavericks offensively, exploiting switches and forcing Dallasâs bigs to chase him beyond the three-point line. Defensively, Porzingis was a menace; the shots he didnât block he contested and on screens he all but dared the Mavs wing players to take the ball to the rim.
âHe was great for them,â Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic said. âHe was knocking down shots. He was blocking shots. So he was really, really huge for them on both ends of the floor.â
As thrilled as the Celtics were to get Porzingis back, the 7â2â big man was happier to be there. He received a loud ovation when he came out to warm up hours before the game. And the crowd exploded when Porzingis popped up on the JumboTron making the walk down the back hallway and onto the floor.
âGetting that kind of support was unreal,â Porzingis said. âThe adrenaline was pumping through my veins and that definitely helped. Obviously, it wasnât ideal that I was out for such a long time, but I did everything I could to prepare mentally for this moment coming back. And it paid off and we got the job done tonight and had a good game and [Iâm] happy about the result.â
Entering this series, the Celtics believed they were uniquely equipped to defend Doncic. They had two All-Defensive Team members (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) and Jaylen Brown, who probably deserved to be on one. Doncic got his points (30 on 12 for 26 shooting) but finished the game with one assist, his lowest total of the season. The lobs that powered Dallasâs offense in the conference finals? Gone. The corner threes? Taken away. The Mavericksâ nine assists were their lowest total of the season.
âThey did a great job defending, making it tough on us,â Dallas head coach Jason Kidd said. âWe had some good looks that didnât go down. Weâve got to move the ball. The ball just stuck too much.â
Said Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla, âI thought our defensive mindset, our defensive execution, our defensive game plan, our positioning, we had the right intentions and I thought we played really physical, for the most part, defending without fouling.â
Doncic finished with 30 points but had only one assist, his lowest total of the season. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Credit Brown, who glued himself to Doncic for most of his 37 minutes. Brown has the size and strength to stay in front of Doncic and the discipline not to bite on any of his pump-fakes. By not sending double teams, Boston shut down the rest of the Dallas offense; when Kidd waved the white flag in the fourth quarter, only two other Mavericks (Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington) had scored in double figures and neither had more than 14 points.
âWhat you saw tonight is kind of the challenge he took for himself coming into the year,â Mazzulla said. âNot wanting to be defined by one thing. Wanting to make plays. Wanting to be a well-rounded player and get better and better. So his spacing, his ball movement, his defense on ball and off ball.â
The much-talked-about hostility from the TD Garden crowd toward Irving never materialized; itâs tough to get too fired up when your team spent most of the game leading by double digits. Irvingâs return to Boston was a dismal one: 12 points (on 6 for 19 shooting), two assists and three turnovers. While Irving had to contend with Holiday most of the night, the exâAll-Star missed a lot of open looks, including several beyond the three-point line and three in the third quarter, when Dallas briefly cut the lead to single digits.
âThey really rely on their great defensive ball pressure and one-on-one defenders,â Irving said. âThey funnel us into certain areas. Even as I say that, that they are relying on the one-on-one, every time I got an iso, thereâs almost two, three people waiting for me to get in there. I have to catch the ball on a live dribble and just be aware of my opportunities.â
The Celtics have been burying opponents in three-pointers all season, finishing first in the league in attempts (42.5 per game) and second in percentage (38.8%). In Game 1, the Celtics were 7 for 15 from three-point range in the first quarter, helping build the double-digit lead they wouldnât surrender.
Hauser had a rough conference finals, connecting on 12.5% of his shots and making just one three in a four-game sweep of the Indiana Pacers. He shook that off in Game 1, collecting eight points and making both of his three-point attempts. When Dallas went Hauser-hunting in the first half, he responded, locking up Doncic on two possessions and forcing Irving into a missed three.
Hauser shook off a rough conference finals to post a solid outing in Game 1 of the Finals. / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
NBA commissioner Adam Silver didnât provide one at his annual pre-Finals news conference. Silver declined to comment on reports the NBA had agreed to the framework of deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon while passing on a specific question about whether or not Warner Bros. Discoveryâthe parent company for longtime NBA broadcast partner Turnerâhad the right to match any deal.
âItâs complicated for several reasons,â Silver said. âOne is the advent of new platforms, particularly streaming, and the interest of streaming companies, and then the traditional media companies also carrying our games on streaming platforms. Itâs complicated with multiple partners all seeking similar assets. In many cases, just figuring out the right way to balance those games as they go to different partners.
âWe tend to do long-term deals. We think thatâs good for the stability of the league, but it means, to a certain extent, youâre trying to predict the future, which is, of course, impossible. So part of it is a bet on the partners that we will ultimately align with and their ability also to adjust with the times and their willingness to continue to invest in media and also become global, which is very important to the league as well.â