Among them are a six-part parlay bet he places with a bookie (played to wonderful effect by sports-radio wonk Mike Francesa) and a three-part parlay wager he places with a Connecticut casino, both of which involve former Celtics forward and Uncut Gems co-star Kevin Garnett. In the movie, Sandler’s character Howard Ratner makes a number of wagers on the 2012 NBA Eastern Conference semifinals between the Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers. While the film drew praise for Sandler as well as directors Benny and Josh Safdie, it drew eye rolls from some members of one of the industries it highlights: sports gambling. Though it won’t win any Oscars after failing to secure even one nomination, Uncut Gems was undoubtedly one of the hottest films of 2019, helping put Adam Sandler back on the map in circles that (rightfully so) don’t watch his straight-to-Netflix films like Murder Mystery and Sandy Wexler.
