Charles Barkley sure of his Celtics-Heat Game 5 prediction

May 25, 2023
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It didn’t take Charles Barkley long to make his Celtics-Heat Game 5 pick during TNT’s “Inside the NBA” postgame show Tuesday night.

With them down six heading into halftime, Barkley wrote off the Celtics as “mentally weak” during Game 4’s halftime show.

The Celtics would storm back early in the third quarter with an 18-0 run that would put them up for good, walking away with a 116-99 victory.

Now, the TNT analyst and NBA legend thinks the Heat could be the ones in trouble.

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“I think Game 5 is going to be a cakewalk for the Celtics,” Barkley said. “I think they’re going to have so much energy because not getting swept is not an accomplishment, they don’t get a cookie. But now they get to go back home and that place is going to be loud, it’s going to be incredible. I think they’re going to kill Miami next game.

“And I’m going to tell you something else, Game 6 in Miami is going to be Game 7 for Miami,” he continued. “… Let me tell you something, I cannot get to FanDuel quick enough.”

The Celtics are eight-point favorites and -300 moneyline favorites at FanDuel to win Game 5 on their home floor.

Boston will make history if they can come back and win the series — no NBA team has ever won a series after going down 3-0.

Sportsbooks appear to think they still have a shot.

FanDuel has the Celtics as +210 underdogs to win the series and the Heat as a relatively modest -260 favorite to make it to the NBA Finals.

Source: New York Post