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We’ve certainly been here before – a Game 7 in the NBA Playoffs at Boston. In fact, the Celtics have hosted 20 Game 7’s, winning 17 times, including twice in last year’s playoffs and once already this season.
This time around, Orlando will try to emerge from Beantown with a victory to advance to the Eastern Conference finals. As of early Saturday night, most sports books were listing Boston (69-26 straight up, 49-45-1 against the spread) as a 2 ½-point favorite with a total of 186. Bettors can take the Magic on the money line for a plus-125 payout (risk $100 to win $125).
The defending champs had an excellent chance to close out Orlando in Game 6, but they could muster just 13 points in the final stanza. The Magic countered with 22 in the decisive fourth quarter to capture an 83-75 win as a seven-point home favorite.
After Boston’s Rajon Rondo made a floater in the lane to knot the score at 75-75 at the 3:50 mark, the Celtics didn’t score again. When Orlando’s Rashard Lewis made a pair of free throws for an 83-75 advantage with 49 seconds left, it marked the first time in the game that the Magic were ahead of the number. That’s all they needed, though, to hook up their backers with an extremely fortunate cover (as bad luck would have it, I was on the Celtics as underdogs).
The pedestrian 158 combined points obviously fell ‘under’ the 190 ½-point total. For the series, the ‘under’ is 4-2 after cashing in the last three outings.
Dwight Howard paced the winners in Game 6 with 23 points, 22 rebounds and three blocked shots. Lewis added 20 points and six boards, while Rafer Alston and Mickael Pietrus added 11 points apiece.
In the losing effort, Rondo had 19 points, 16 rebounds, six assists and four steals. Paul Pierce finished with 17 points, nine boards and five assists.
Orlando (66-28 SU, 54-39-1 ATS) has been excellent on the road this year, compiling a 30-17 SU record and a 28-18-1 ATS mark. With that said, the Magic are just 2-7 ATS in their last nine road assignments.
Stan Van Gundy’s team won Game 1 in Boston by a 95-90 count as a 1 ½-point underdog. The Celtics bounced back to win Game 2 by a 112-94 score. In Game 5, Orlando was seemingly in control all night, leading by as many as 14 in the fourth quarter before falling apart.
For the first time in these playoffs, Stephon Marbury had a positive impact in Game 5, scoring all 12 of his points in the final stanza. When Ray Allen came off a screen and buried a triple from the right wing with 1:20 remaining, the C’s had their first lead since midway through the first quarter. They held on for a 92-88 decision as two-point home favorites.
In the aftermath of the Game 5 loss, Howard ripped Van Gundy for his substitution patterns and for the fact that he had only three touches in the fourth quarter. The Game 6 victory has removed that storyline from the forefront, but you wonder if an Orlando loss could lead to a pink slip for Van Gundy.
The ‘over’ has been a lucrative money maker in Boston home games this season, cashing tickets at a 31-16-1 clip. The ‘under’ is 54-40 overall for Orlando. However, when the Magic hit the road, the ‘under’ hasn’t been as prevalent, hitting at just a 24-23 pace.
Tip-off is scheduled for 8:05 p.m. Eastern on TNT.
**B.E.’s Bonus Nuggets**
--In 13 postseason games, Rondo is nearly averaging a triple-double. He’s averaging 17.4 points, 10.0 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. Rondo is also collecting 2.5 steals per contest. His assists-to-turnovers ratio is 127/37.
--Orlando’s J.J. Redick went 0-for-7 from the floor in Game 6. He is shooting at a 32.1 percent clip from the field in 10 playoff games this season.
--Orlando has split a pair of Game 7’s in franchise history. The Magic lost their only Game 7 on the road at Detroit in the first round of the 2003 playoffs.
--Boston has won 20 of its 25 Game 7’s in franchise history.
Brian Edwards can be reached at briane@vegasinsider.com.
