Not many people gave the Boston Celtics a chance to win Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers on the road. And oddsmakers were chief among them.
The C’s were 16.5-point underdogs at several sportsbooks, per OddsShark, and even 17-point underdogs at some others.
But thanks to a resilient effort and Avery Bradley’s game-winning shot with 0.1 seconds left in the fourth quarter, the Celtics overcame a 21-point deficit to cover the spread and win the game outright 111-108.
The 16.5-point line made Boston’s upset victory the largest in recent playoff memory.
The Cavaliers were 16.5 point favorites
—The upset is the largest upset in the NBA this season, largest in the last 20 postseasons
— ESPN Stats & Info (@ESPNStatsInfo) May 22, 2017
#Celtics closed +16 vs. #Cavs
Only TWO bigger upsets in NBA since 1995
Denver +17 over Washington (1997)
Lakers +17 over Warriors (2016)— RJ Bell (@RJinVegas) May 22, 2017
The Celtics will be underdogs again in Game 4 on Tuesday night, and they’ll need to give another tremendous performance to even the series at two games apiece before it goes back to Boston for Game 5.
Thumbnail photo via Rick Osentoski/USA TODAY Sports Images
