Through the first three games of the 2022 NBA Conference Finals, it has been three straight convincing wins. Neither conference has produced a nailbiter thus far. After the Miami Heat took down the Boston Celtics 118-107 in Game 1, Boston responded with a dominant performance on Thursday night in Game 2. After initially falling behind by 10 points, the Celtics roared back and dominated the rest of the night, securing a 127-102 victory to even the series at one win each.

 

 

While the series is tied, the convincing Game 2 win seemed to carry more weight. The scrappy Miami Heat team rarely gets blown off the court and competes to the very end. Their largest loss in the regular season also came at the hands of the Celtics. This was a 122-92 victory that occurred on Jan. 31.

With Marcus Smart and Al Horford back in the lineup, the Celtics made a statement in Game 2 that they should be regarded as the championship favorite.

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Celtics' NBA championship statement in Game 2 win over Heat

Talent Wins Out

The Heat have impressed greatly throughout the postseason. They play a competitive brand of basketball and stay connected on defense in an impressive fashion. However, they just don't stack up with the Celtics in terms of overall talent with Kyle Lowry, even with Jimmy Butler pulling off Herculean feats. This is especially true with Kyle Lowry sidelined.

Butler has had such an impressive postseason in which he has put the team on his back for stretches at a time. He is averaging 29.8 points, 7.6 rebounds, 5.2 assists, and 2.2 steals in these playoffs. Butler has also scored 30 or more points six times already this postseason, and the Heat have needed this production. His impressive play is being compared to Michael Jordan as Playoff Jimmy has been put on full display. Butler even dropped 29 points in Game 2, but it was not even close to enough as he didn't get much help from his teammates.

In contrast, the Celtics have a much more well-rounded attack. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are two of the best two-way wings in the NBA and are proving this. Tatum has been especially impressive throughout the postseason, which hasn't changed in this round. The team has also seen guys like Al Horford, Marcus Smart, and Grant Williams step up in major ways. The NBA is a talent-driven league, and the Celtics have the edge in this category over the Heat by a decent margin. While Miami has a fine collection of players, the Celtics have more guys who are capable on both sides of the ball.

Celtics' Elite Defense

There has been so much talk about the Heat's defense, which is somewhat disrespectful to the Celtics. Boston has had one of the most impressive turnarounds of all time this season largely due to the changes made on this side of the ball. After sitting in the 10th seed with a record of 23-24 just past the midpoint of the season, the Celtics had a drastic turnaround. They had a record of 28-7 to end the season and climbed all the way to the second seed in the East.

The biggest reason for this was the work done on the defensive side of the ball. Handing Marcus Smart point guard duties on offense created matchup issues for opposing teams and benefited the Celtics defensively. Boston led the NBA in the fewest points allowed this season (104.3), held opponents to the worst 3-point percentage (33.7%), and held opponents to the worst overall shooting percentage (43.6%) during the regular season. This dominant defense paired with their dynamic offense is a recipe for championship success, and it showed up in a big way in Game 2 after struggling without Smart and Horford in Game 1.

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Betting Lines

Heading into the series, the Celtics were -175 favorites to advance, per FanDuel. They also held the second-highest championship odds, trailing only the Warriors. After Miami's convincing victory in Game 1, the series odds shifted to nearly even for the two teams. The news that Al Horford and Marcus Smart were able to return for Game 2 shifted the odds slightly more toward the Celtics. Following the dominant Game 2 victory by Boston, the lines adjusted accordingly:

This massive jump is a major indication of how the expectations have changed for the Celtics. Winning a game in Miami before heading back to Boston for two games is a massive advantage. The saying goes that you aren't in trouble until you lose at home in the playoffs, and the Heat have done just this.

While the Celtics must remain focused on this series, their championship odds have also shifted, according to FanDuel. There is a massive dropoff after the Warriors (+100) and Celtics (+180) to the Heat (+550) and Mavs (+1100). The Celtics have been the best team in the NBA since the New Year and proved why in Game 2. Boston still must win two more games to officially punch a ticket to the NBA Finals, but the championship momentum is clearly building.