When the Boston Celtics took a 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers, the most lucrative bet for most bettors was who would win the Larry Bird Trophy for MVP of the series.
Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were the frontrunners to win the award for most of this series, with Brown ultimately winning the Larry Bird Trophy after Boston beat Indiana on Monday — but it was a tough call for those who booked tickets for Tatum to win.
Tatum became the favorite to win the Larry Bird Trophy after his strong performance in Game 3, which included 36 points, 10 rebounds and eight assists in the Celtics’ 18-point comeback win. His odds to win the trophy rose to -170 ahead of Game 4 at FanDuel Sportsbook.
As Game 4 progressed, Tatum’s odds to win the series MVP diminished. He became a -800 favorite to win the award after scoring seven points in the first quarter. There was a point in the second quarter when Tatum’s odds to win dropped to -1350.
After scoring 16 points in the first half, Tatum had a -2100 chance of winning the trophy at halftime.
According to Michael Fiedl, these odds remained at -2100 through the end of Game 4. Tatum played brilliantly in the fourth quarter, as he helped Boston come back from another late deficit, scoring seven points in the final frame with five rebounds, two assists, and a steal.
But offensively, the Browns took over in the final minutes of Game 4.
He scored 10 points on 3-of-6 shooting in the fourth quarter before he was blocked on Andrew Nembhard’s layup that tied the game with 1:05 remaining. On the next Celtics possession, Brown drove to the rim and lobbed the ball to Derrick White in the corner for what proved to be the game-winning 3-pointer.
These possessions were enough for Brown to win the Larry Bird Trophy, but it was a close vote. Brown received five votes while Tatum got the remaining four.
Statistically, Tatum performed better than Brown, recording 30.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game. However, Brown also had a strong performance in Boston’s win against Indiana, recording 29.8 points, five rebounds, three assists and two steals per game.
Brown also delivered in the clutch.
In addition to his stellar performance in Game 4, he hit a game-tying 3-pointer with less than six seconds left in regulation time in Game 1, sending the game into overtime.
Just as many bettors may have been surprised by the final vote for ECF MVP, Brown was also a little surprised by the result.
“I didn’t expect it at all — I never expect it when I win,” Brown told reporters after the game. “I was just happy we won.”
Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown
Jayson Tatum
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