The Golden State Warriors were favored by more than 10 points at several sportsbooks for their Monday night road matchup against the Miami Heat.
The Warriors entered the game with an NBA-best 38-6 record, but they were not able to beat the struggling Heat. Miami guard Dion Waiters hit a late 3-point shot to secure a 105-102 win the Heat. The San Antonio Spurs, as expected, throttled the Nets in Brooklyn on Monday night to maintain the second-best record in the league.
These results most benefited the Boston Celtics, who have the right to swap first-round picks in the 2017 NBA Draft with the Nets as part of the Paul Pierce/Kevin Garnett trade from 2013.
The Nets’ loss combined with the Heat’s surprising victory puts Brooklyn six wins behind the next-lowest team in the league standings. Brooklyn’s 9-35 record is 5.5 games below the 29th-place Heat.
The awful Nets have only one win in their last 10 games.
Of course, having the best odds at winning the draft lottery as a result of owning the league’s worst record is no guarantee of winding up with the No. 1 pick, but it’s still the best position for the Celtics and maximizes this selection’s value as next month’s trade deadline approaches.
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
