By Which Techniques Celtics Dominate Mavericks 107-89 in NBA Final Game 1

Mavericks Kristaps Porzingis didn’t want to guess how his body would feel going into the NBA Finals. He hadn’t played for over a month because of a calf injury. But everything turned out okay in the end.

Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, and Porzingis came off the bench and quickly made a big difference by scoring 20 points. The Boston Celtics played really well and beat the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 on Thursday night in NBA final Game 1.

Derrick White scored 15 points for Boston. They were ahead by 29 points in the first half. They also made 16 shots from beyond the arc, which helped them get off to a strong start in their journey to win their 18th NBA championship.

Porzingis, who stands tall at 7 feet, hadn’t been able to play since April 29 due to an injury. But in this game, he managed to grab six rebounds and block three shots in just 21 minutes of playing time.

He shared, “Tonight was a real confidence boost for me. It showed me that I’m actually pretty good at basketball. I’m not perfect, but I can definitely contribute like this and help the team succeed.”

As the Celtics players were getting ready for the game, Mavericks Porzingis took his time and was the last one to join the warmup in NBA. He mentioned how the crowd’s loud cheers when he stepped onto the court gave him a huge rush of energy.

“I felt the adrenaline kicking in,” Porzingis said.

Coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t worried at all about Porzingis’ long break from playing. He believed Porzingis would still be aggressive and perform well on the court.

Mazzulla said, “That’s the KP who helped us reach where we are now. It doesn’t matter how long he’s been away, he’s still going to make big plays.”

All-Star Jayson Tatum ended the game with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Six players on the Celtics team scored more than ten points each. The Celtics will play Game 2 at home on Sunday.

Tatum said, “It’s a really important moment for us to reach this point again.” He remembered, “Two years ago, we won the first game, but then we lost the series. So, we know we can’t relax now. There’s still a lot of hard work ahead of us.”

In the third quarter, Dallas reduced the difference in points to only eight. But then, Boston hit back with an impressive 14-0 streak, swiftly widening the gap once more. Brown pointed out that this moment marked the real beginning of the game’s intense action.

Luka Doncic was the top scorer for Dallas, putting up 30 points. P.J. Washington contributed 14 points and grabbed eight rebounds. However, Dallas struggled to maintain offensive momentum beyond these performances. They only managed to dish out nine assists on their 35 field goals throughout the game. The Mavericks couldn’t reach 25 points in any quarter in NBA final game 1.

Doncic mentioned that despite the heavy defeat, the team’s morale remains high. He pointed out that in three out of four series this postseason, they’ve lost the opening game. “Whether you win or lose,” Doncic stated, “it’s all part of the game. The goal is to be the first to win four games, so our focus is on the next game.”

Kyrie Irving, who used to play for the Celtics, had a tough time during the game, managing to score only 12 points. When he introduced before the game, the crowd responded with loud and prolonged booing. This continued throughout the game whenever he had possession of the ball.

The reaction towards Irving stemmed from previous interactions with Boston fans. He clashed with them before and even fined for making an inappropriate gesture during a playoff game at TD Garden in 2022.

Irving responded to the booing by saying, “I thought the crowd would be louder. I anticipate the same in Game 2. The crowd’s trying to throw me off my game.” He added, “Losing in Boston isn’t new to me. But I don’t want it to become a regular thing.”

The Celtics, aiming for their first championship since 2008, didn’t seem affected by their 10-day break after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

They played with a lot of energy throughout the game. They worked together well, passing the ball around and finding open teammates for three-point shots. So, they also made strong moves towards the basket, finding gaps in the Dallas defense and scoring several dunks.

Besides Doncic, who made 12 out of 26 shots from the field, Dallas faced difficulties in the early stages of the game. They had trouble setting up their offensive plays and couldn’t find a steady rhythm.

Although the Mavericks initially took a one-point lead midway through the first quarter in NBA, the Celtics quickly turned the tide. They dominated the scoring, outscoring Dallas 44-16, which resulted in a significant lead of 58-29 for the Celtics by the second quarter.

During the next 12 minutes of the game, Dallas made a significant comeback with a 35-14 run, led by Doncic who scored 15 points, reducing Boston’s lead to 72-64. However, by the start of the fourth quarter, the Celtics regained control and were ahead 86-66.

Dallas struggled with ball movement throughout the game, managing just five assists in the first three quarters. This was the lowest number of assists recorded by any NBA team in a game over the past three seasons.

Coach Jason Kidd emphasized the need for better ball movement, stating, “We need to pass the ball more effectively. It got stuck too often.”

Porzingis returned to play after missing 10 games. He entered the game as a substitute for Al Horford with 7:17 remaining in the first quarter. Despite wearing a white compression sleeve on his right leg, it was difficult to notice that Porzingis had been injured.

He wasted no time getting involved in the game. Soon after coming onto the court, he was fouled by Doncic and confidently made both free throws. On the next play, Porzingis scored his first field goal, making a short jumper over Doncic.

A few minutes later, Porzingis found himself wide open near the basket and executed a powerful two-handed dunk over Derrick Lively. Then, on Dallas’ next possession, Porzingis showcased his defensive skills by blocking Jaden Hardy’s layup attempt. The Celtics quickly transitioned to offense and passed the ball back to Porzingis, who calmly sank a 16-foot shot.

This sequence was part of a strong performance by Boston in the final 5 minutes and 24 seconds of the quarter. During this time, Porzingis made 4 out of 5 field goal attempts, scoring 11 points, blocking two shots, and grabbing three rebounds. As a result, Boston ended the quarter with a commanding 37-20 lead.

Porzingis continued his impressive play into halftime, finishing the first half with a total of 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting from the field.