Ala Hann Sport picks

It has been a tale of two Boston Celtics’ sports bet teams through the first three games of the NBA Finals series, with the team in green looking like a shadow of its Game Two version in Games One and Three. Now with just two of the potential four remaining games to be played on home court, the Celtics must find an urgency to win Game Four at the BankNorth Gardens, or risk going down three-games-to-one to a talented and determined Los Angeles Lakers team.

Los Angeles Lakers @ Boston Celtics

Thursday June 10, 2010 – 9 PM ET

NBA Finals Betting Odds: Celtics – 140

No player served as a microcosm for the incredibly opposite performances of the Celtics between Games Two and Three than guard Ray Allen, who after setting an NBA Finals record for three-point baskets by hitting his first eight in a row in the second game, failed to score from not just beyond the arc in Game Three, but also from the field. Allen finished 0-for-8 from three-point range, and 0-for-13 from the field, struggling to find his legs, while finishing with the only minus rating of the five starters. The 13-year pro is not the only Celtics player to struggle in this series, and if Kevin Garnett’s bounce back performance in Game Three is any indication after how much he struggled in the last game in California, Allen should have no trouble bouncing back in Game Four.

The Celtics will however need a much better job from its bench, after Rasheed Wallace, Glen Davis, and Nate Robinson combined to go minus-30 in the 91-84 loss. Rajon Rondo played nearly the entire game, logging over 42 minutes, but was not his usual aggressive self in the loss, and will need to find his game to help both Allen and Paul Pierce become even better players.

Rondo may also have to move to covering Derek Fisher, while allowing Allen to move over to cover Ron Artest, who has been less of a threat at the offensive end. Fisher exploded for 16 points while shooting 50-percent from the field in Game Three, complementing the consistency of Kobe Bryant, who seemed to jack up shots every chance he got en route to finishing with a game-high 29 points.

NBA Betting Pick: Los Angeles + 130

Celtic Lakers Betting Line: Over/ Under 190

Despite the Celtics doing a much better job shooting in Game Two in Los Angeles, the team struggled to find its rhythm on home court, and never really got much of a flow going until the fourth quarter. Boston will have to do a much better job shooting in Game Four, especially considering that it allowed Bryant to score 29 despite shooting just 10-for-29 from the field. Bryant should be even better in the next game, and given that Pau Gasol and Artest combined for just 15 points, they will likely finish with higher totals as well.

Pick: Over 190

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