Rare Double Victory: Lower-Ranked NBA Teams Secure Wins as Underdogs by 9 Points or More in Playoffs on the Same Day After a 25-Year Gap
🏀 Surprising Championship Upsets on the Same Night: A Double Dose of Drama 🏀
Who woulda thunk it? Two underdogs winning their games on the same night in the NBA playoffs? That's right, y'all, the New York Knicks and the Denver Nuggets upset the odds and stole the show on Monday night. This hasn't happened in 25 years - talk about a throwback!
Let's talk about those gutssy Knicks first. They took on the mighty Boston Celtics, who were defending NBA champions and heavy favorites. But OG Anunoby and Jalen Brunson stepped up, scoring 29 points each, leading their team to victory, despite being down by 20 points at one point! They defied the odds, overcoming a 9.5-point spread to win 108-105 in overtime.
Over in Oklahoma City, the Nuggets faced the top-seeded Thunder. Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic scored a whopping 42 points and snagged 22 rebounds in the game, pushing his team to victory with a three-pointer from Aaron Gordon in the closing seconds. Why's that significal? Well, it was Russell Westbrook's first-ever playoff game against his former team! The Nuggets were even bigger underdogs, with most sportsbooks putting the spread at 10.5 points.
But even though these underdogs won, don't count the Thunder and Celtics out yet. These teams are still heavy favorites to win their respective best-of-seven-game series.
Now, let's put this into perspective. The Celtics have been dominant, having made it to the conference finals the last three seasons. They're still the favorites to win the Eastern Conference, with a series winner betting line of -300, meaning they're roughly 75% likely to win the series.[1][2] The Knicks, on the other hand, are currently at +245 (about 29%) after Game 3, with the series currently 2-1 in favor of the Knicks.[1]
As for the Thunder, they entered the playoffs as championship favorites and swept the Memphis Grizzlies in their first-round series. Their strong form and impressive playoff showing make them well-positioned to bounce back from any early setbacks.[2]
In short, while these upsets were a huge surprise, don't count out the Celtics and Thunder just yet. The Knicks may have a fight on their hands, but the Celtics' strong historical performance and betting odds suggest they're still the team to beat in the Eastern Conference. As for the Thunder, their dominant form and strong playoff showing keep them as strong contenders in the Western Conference and beyond.[1][2]
[1] Data from Cornell Sports Analytics: Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder
[2] Data from ESPN: Boston Celtics and Oklahoma City Thunder
In the thrilling NBA playoffs, not only did the New York Knicks pull off a surprising upset against the Boston Celtics, but the Denver Nuggets also defied the odds to defeat the top-seeded Thunder. After scoring 29 points each, Jalen Brunson and OG Anunoby led the Knicks in an unexpected comeback win against the defending champions, the Celtics. Meanwhile, Nikola Jokic's stellar performance, including a decisive three-pointer by Aaron Gordon, helped the Nuggets secure a victory over their former teammate, Russell Westbrook. Despite these upsets, the Celtics and Thunder remain strong contenders in their respective conferences, according to sports analysis.
