iStockphoto
An NBA bettor really cashed in on one of the most improbable bets this basketball season. In Game 7 of the playoff series between the Philadelphia 76ers and the Boston Celtics, James Harden opened the game with a steal and a slam.
The dunk helped this gambler turn $20 into $5K in an instant. The odds for Harden to not only make the game’s first basket but to do it by way of the slam dunk sat at 250/1.
And for good reason.
The jam was just the third for Harden this season, with two coming in this postseason series with the Celtics. Here’s how he got the Sixers on the scoreboard Sunday afternoon.
James Harden first basket – Dunk at +25000 is NUTS 😂 pic.twitter.com/vJmp7WajG8
— br_betting (@br_betting) May 14, 2023
Harden stepped in front of a Marcus Smart pass and raced to the basket for an uncontested dunk. It worked out perfectly for this bettor, who threw down just $20 and saw a $5,020 payout.
Fans online were quick to comment on the impressive win as they posted their reactions on social media.
One follower said, “What a way to win that bet.”
Someone else wrote, “This is one of the most unreal bets ever. Wow.”
The bucket got Philly up 2-0 early, but not much went right for the Sixers following that James Harden dunk. After taking a 29-23 lead at the end of the first quarter, Philadelphia was outscored by 30 points the rest of the way as the Celtics notched a relatively easy 112-88 victory.
With the win, Boston closed out the series as they look to advance to a second-straight NBA Finals. They’ll have to get through the Miami Heat first in the Eastern Conference Finals before taking their chances at a league championship.
As for the Sixers, their season ends in the Eastern Conference semifinals or earlier for a sixth consecutive campaign.