The Celtics secured an impressive 107-89 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1, thanks to a remarkable performance by Kristaps Porziņģis in 2024 NBA Finals
The NBA Finals witnessed the Boston Celtics making a strong statement right from the start, thanks to an impressive comeback by Kristaps Porziņģis.
The Celtics easily secured a commanding 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at TD Garden, after establishing a substantial 29-point advantage in the first half. This win extends their impressive winning streak to eight consecutive games and maintains their perfect record in Game 1 matchups throughout the postseason.
In their inaugural NBA Finals appearance since their championship victory with Dirk Nowitzki in 2011, the Mavericks find themselves in a position of disadvantage, with Luka Dončić leading the charge. Prior to Thursday night’s game, the Mavericks had achieved an impressive streak of five consecutive victories on the road.
Kristaps Porziņģis powers huge Celtics run
Porzingis was absent from the Last 10 matches of Boston due to a calf injury he initially acquired during the opening-round series against the Miami Heat.
However,after coming off the bench for just the second time in his career, he wasted no time in making a significant impact. Porziņģis swiftly scored eight points at the beginning of the opening quarter, which included an impressive dunk after effortlessly surpassing Dereck Lively II and a successful shot in the face of Josh Green. This propelled the Celtics to a double-digit lead, prompting the Mavericks to call an early timeout in the first period.
PORZINGIS TURNING UP IN THE 1ST 🔥 pic.twitter.com/yYk6kEAnr0
— NBA on ESPN (@ESPNNBA) June 7, 2024
Coming out of the timeout, he sank a deep three-pointer and quickly followed it with a block, which led to another three-pointer for the Celtics. This sparked a 23-5 run, putting the Celtics ahead by 17 points. This became the largest first-quarter lead in a Game 1 of the NBA Finals ever recorded.
Porziņģis and the Celtics continued their momentum in the second quarter, effortlessly building a commanding 21-point lead by halftime. They initiated the quarter with a 21-11 scoring spree, momentarily extending their advantage to 29 points, and successfully sank 11 shots from beyond the arc within the initial 24 minutes. Porziņģis contributed 18 points, shooting an impressive 7-of-9 from the field during the first half. In contrast, the Mavericks struggled from the 3-point line, converting only 3 of their 13 attempts.
Celtics Hold Off Mavericks run
Despite being significantly behind in the score during the beginning, Dallas began to gradually reduce the lead held by Boston in the third quarter. Subsequently, with the assistance of some remarkable shots made by Kyrie Irving and a crucial 3-pointer executed by Dončić, concluding a 20-6 streak, the deficit suddenly narrowed to an eight-point gap.
29 POINT LEAD IS DOWN TO EIGHT.
— Yahoo Sports (@YahooSports) June 7, 2024
Luka has 27 points 😳
(via @NBA)pic.twitter.com/QxOL2ApE0u
However, Dallas was unable to get any closer than that. Boston quickly regrouped after a timeout and finished the period with a strong 14-2 run. This extended the Celtics’ lead to 20 points once again, ultimately leading them to an 18-point victory.
Porzingis ended the game with a total of 20 points and six rebounds in just 21 minutes of playtime. Jaylen Brown took charge and led the team with an impressive 22 points, shooting 7-of-12 from the field. Jayson Tatum also contributed to the score, finishing with 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists, although he did commit six turnovers. Notably, the Celtics achieved an NBA Finals record by having seven different players successfully make multiple shots from behind the arc.
