Early Payout Offer sees Cavaliers and Celtics backers paid out before blown leads

bet365’s Early Payout Offer was triggered for customers who backed the Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics before the pair blew 20-point leads to lose second-round series games this week.

bet365’s Early Payout Offer sees customers’ selections paid out if the team they backed on the moneyline goes ahead by 20 points or more, even if they go on to lose the game.

So far, the second round of the 2025 NBA Playoffs has been all about lower seeds coming from behind to win on the road.

Celtics lose Games 1 and 2 after leading by 20

Wednesday's Game 2 between the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks was almost a carbon copy of Game 1.

After a back-and-forth first half mostly controlled by Boston, the Celtics came out firing in the second half and grew a 20-point lead - they led 73-53 with 3:12 left in the third quarter - and looked to be on their way to evening the series, as many expected.

But over the final quarter and change, the home team went ice cold while the underdog Knicks clawed back into the game. Boston went without a made field goal for more than eight minutes, and New York - behind sensational clutch-time play from Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges - took the lead in the closing stages to win 91-90 and go up 2-0 in the series.

The final play was eerily similar to Game 1, with Bridges and OG Anunoby swarming Jayson Tatum to block his game-winning shot attempt.

Two days prior in Game 1, the Celtics also gave up a 20-point lead to lose 108-105 in overtime.

Boston moneyline was paid out when the defending NBA champions took a 72-52 lead over New York with 6:19 remaining in the third quarter of the series opener.

The Knicks quickly halved that deficit and trailed by nine entering the fourth quarter, then led by as many as six in the fourth before eventually triumphing in overtime to take a 1-0 series lead.

Read more NBA Playoffs news, picks and predictions on site.

Cavs give up 20-point lead in Game 2 vs. Pacers

On Tuesday, May 6, the Cavaliers became the latest team to have their moneyline paid out with bet365 before relinquishing their lead and falling behind 0-2 in the series to the Indiana Pacers.

Cavaliers moneyline was paid out with 11:43 remaining in the second quarter when they took a 35-15 lead over the Pacers. That was Cleveland’s biggest lead of the game, and Indiana chipped away at that deficit before Tyrese Haliburton’s game-winning three in the final seconds left the home crowd stunned.

The EPO was also triggered twice in the first round of the NBA Playoffs, first in Thunder vs. Grizzlies Game 3, then again in Pacers vs. Bucks Game 5.

Thunder erase 29-point lead in sweep of Grizzlies

Despite the 8-seeded Memphis Grizzlies clearly being outmatched against the Thunder, it was the underdogs who soared to a 29-point lead in Game 3 of their first-round series.

Grizzlies moneyline was paid out with bet365 when they took a 58-37 lead with 6:44 to go in the second quarter. Memphis eventually grew its advantage to 29 before OKC came storming back in the second half to win 114-108.

Trailing by 26 at halftime, the Thunder outscored the Grizzlies 63-31 in the second half to win by six, their third win in an eventual 4-0 sweep.

Pacers trail early, come back to end Bucks’ season

The Milwaukee Bucks’ season came to a crashing close in Game 5 of their first-round series vs. the Pacers, blowing a 20-point lead in the process.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and co. jumped out to a 33-13 lead, showing life in a series dominated by Indiana up to that point. Bucks moneyline was paid out with 11:26 left in the second quarter when Kyle Kuzma drained a three to put Milwaukee up by 20.

That was the Bucks’ biggest lead of the game. The Pacers slowly clawed their way back into it and forced overtime, setting up another dramatic comeback in the final seconds.

Up 118-111 with 40 seconds to go, Milwaukee squandered its chance to extend the series. Gary Trent Jr. turned the ball over on back-to-back possessions and the Pacers capitalized, winning 119-118 and the series four games to one.