The Boston Celtics’ grip on the best record in the NBA – and top spot in the Eastern Conference – is weakening. The Celtics have started their western road trip with back-to-back losses, including a massive 33-point blowout at the hands of the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Meanwhile, Giannis Antetokounmpo, who is in the midst of an incredibly dominant run, had a career game to lead the Milwaukee Bucks to another victory.
Read on below as SBOTOP shares the three key takeaways from the three games that took place in the NBA.
Celtics can’t get complacent in competitive East
Boston’s four-game western road trip is off to an awful start. After going down to Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets, the Celtics suffered by far their heaviest defeat of the season as they were humiliated 150-117 by the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The NBA 2023 odds were heavily against the Thunder, who were without their star player and leading scorer, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who had a non-Covid illness. But OKC were simply unstoppable as they shot nearly 60 per cent from the floor and hit 20 of their 40 3-pointers.
With their latest losing streak, the Celtics’ lead in the East is now down to just a half-game. The streaking Brooklyn Nets, who have won 12 games in a row, would pull level with the Celtics at 26-12 if they beat the Chicago Bulls tomorrow.
Coach Joe Mazzulla admitted that his team simply lacked the effort, with guard Malcolm Brogdon adding that they relaxed when they found out Gilgeous-Alexander wouldn’t be playing.
This type of complacency can creep up on any team over a long NBA season. But Boston cannot afford to have these sorts of complete no-shows, especially with the Eastern Conference looking so competitive.
With the Nets, Bucks, Cavaliers, and 76ers all capable of playing at a high level, the Celtics can quite easily go from first to out of the top four in the East if they are not careful.
Giannis’ career game shows how dominant he still is
Giannis Antetokounmpo returned from his one-game absence with a vengeance as he avenged the Bucks’ loss to the Wizards by dropping a regular season career-high 55 points in a 123-113 win.
Antetokounmpo, who missed the first meeting with Washington with a sore knee, shot a sizzling 20-of-33 from the field as well as an impressive 15-of-16 from the free-throw line and added 10 rebounds and 7 assists.
Despite the Bucks’ up-and-down form in recent weeks – they are just 2-5 in their last seven games – Giannis continues to bring his best in nearly every game. He has now topped 40 points in five of his last seven games, including back-to-back 40-point, 20-rebound double-doubles in his previous two games.
Giannis has had to carry such a heavy load this season with co-stars Khris Middleton and Jrue Holiday both missing significant time. But the two-time NBA MVP is showing he is more than capable of putting the team on his broad shoulders.
This career game should serve as a timely reminder that amid the brilliance of Donovan Mitchell, who just dropped 71 points, European hotshots Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic, and Kevin Durant, that Giannis remains arguably the most dominant force in the NBA.
Kings continue to climb as Jazz continue to decline
The Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz are heading in opposite directions. After edging out the Jazz 117-115, the Kings are now up to fifth in the Western Conference at 20-16. Meanwhile, that defeat is Utah’s fifth in a row as they’ve fallen to 19-21, 10th in the West.
De’Aaron Fox led the Kings with 37 points, while Domantas Sabonis, who is playing with a fractured thumb, had another terrific game with 21 points, 14 rebounds, and 8 assists. Sabonis is averaging 22.7 points, 15.2 rebounds, and 7.2 assists while shooting a sizzling 67 per cent over his last nine games.
While it’s still way too early to be making playoff proclamations, this season might be the Kings’ best chance in a long time to snap their 16-year playoff drought.
As for the Jazz, their hot start is becoming more and more of a distant memory as their NBA 2023 results have fallen back down to earth. Although, they have remained reasonably competitive; they have lost by just 4, 5, 1, 3, and 2 points during their current five-game losing skid.
But this was always the plan. Since they are rebuilding, it is in their best interest to lose as many games as possible to get as high a draft pick as possible, so in a way, it’s good for the team in the long term that they’re back on track.
●●●
CHECK OUT OUR BLOG FOR MORE BASKETBALL STORIES & ODDS
Stay updated with everything sports and betting.
Follow us on social Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube.
