NBA Finals Betting: Rondo, ‘Sheed Good To Go?
Updated June 3, 2010
With Game 1 of the NBA Finals starting tonight, two key Boston Celtic players were limited at practice on Monday but seem good to go after Tuesday and Wednesday.
Starting point guard Rajon Rondo, who first suffered back spasms in the Eastern Final vs. the Orlando Magic, only participated in 75 percent of practice on Monday but was a full participant in the past two practices and said he will play in Game 1 — the break in between the conference championship and the start of the NBA championship has done wonders.
“My body is fine,” Rondo told ESPN.
“These five days have definitely been great for me personally. I know it’s great for the team, but for me I’ve been getting a lot of massages, a lot of treatment. I’m feeling better and better each day.”
Backup center Rasheed Wallace looked like he was hurting yesterday but has practiced, like Rondo, the past two days and looked good.
ESPN reported that Wallace had been bothered by back spasms, also since the Orlando series, and was held out of contact drills on Monday.
At the time, Boston head coach Doc Rivers said that Rondo was not a concern but Wallace was.
“Rondo felt pretty good, he went 75-80 percent of practice,” Rivers told reporters Monday.
“Rasheed is not right yet, he did the skeleton offense stuff, but other than that, we didn’t allow any contact. So if we have a concern right now with anybody, [he] would be the only one,” he said.
The Celtics enter the championship opener listed as 5.5-point road ‘dogs with the Total set at 191.5.
In their last eight games at the STAPLES Center, the Celtics have gone 6-2 against the spread and in their last nine when listed as underdogs of 6-points or less, there have been 6 Overs and 3 Unders.
