BOSTON — For most NBAIn the regular season, there was no question who was the better, deeper team. The same could be said for much of Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Jaylen Brown leads the Boston Celtics with 22 points, Kristaps Porziņģis made his triumphant return from a calf injury with 20 points and the league’s No. 1 seed easily eliminated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 Thursday night.
“He’s been a really big reason why we’ve been the best team in basketball,” Brown said of Porziņģis, one of two huge additions the Celtics made in the offseason after losing in of Game 7 of the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals.
Game 2 will take place Sunday at 8 p.m. ET at TD Garden. The Celtics, seeking a league-record 18th championship, have won eight straight playoff games, dating back to Game 3 of their second-round series against the Riders.
Boston, which won 64 regular season games, seven more than the closest team and 14 better than the Nonconformistsled Dallas by as many as 29 points in the first half and closed the third quarter on a 14-2 run to dispel most doubts about the outcome of the first game.
“I liked the way we handled their run,” said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla, whose timeout with 4 minutes, 27 seconds remaining in the third quarter helped prevent the Mavs from taking their momentum. “(Races) are going to happen, you’re not going to stop that. You just need to have the composure and tenacity to achieve it.
Luka Doncicthe league scoring champion in the regular season, led the Nonconformists with 30 points and 10 rebounds but managed just one assist – indicative of a rough night for the Dallas offense, which failed to move the ball and was forced to make too many shots difficult.
Kyrie Irving, the former Celtics player who was booed all night, shot just 6 of 19 from the field for 12 points, while missing all five 3-point attempts. The Mavs managed just nine assists (Irving had two) for the game and recorded just five assists through three quarters. PJ Washington, added by the Mavs at the trade deadline, had 14 points, leading Irving by two.
“They mainly play one-on-one. They send a lot of help, that’s why,” Dončić said, explaining the Mavs’ iso-heavy offense.
Added Mazzulla: “It’s just good individual defense. I thought our defensive mindset, our defensive execution, our defensive game plan, our positioning, we had the right intentions, and I thought we played physical, for the most part, defending without fouling.
Porziņģis, the former Mavericks player that Dallas traded at the 2022 deadline, was playing in his first game since April 29 due to a calf strain suffered in Game 4 of the first round after missing 10 games and 38 days . Thursday’s match was only the second of Porziņģis’ career, and the first since the 2016-17 season, during which he came off the bench.
“Adrenaline was coursing through my veins,” Porziņģis said. “I did everything I could to prepare for this moment.”
Regarding his coming off the bench, Porziņģis said he was “okay with it” and that “this situation made sense.”
7 footers that pass ???? pic.twitter.com/ZTzvGEPEDV
– Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 7, 2024
Entering the game with less than eight minutes remaining in the first quarter, donning a long compression sleeve over his right leg to protect the calf, Porziņģis scored eight points in his first five minutes. He denied Josh Green‘s dunk attempt – the first of his three impressive blocks – and finished 8 of 13 shooting with two 3s.
“It was KP that helped us get to where we are today,” said Mazzulla, who gave little indication that he was close to bringing Porziņģis back into the fold. the starting lineup.
Al Horford38, remained Boston’s starting center and contributed 10 points with seven rebounds.
Brown, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, dominated in all areas. He had three blocks, including Irving’s dunk and layup attempts in the third quarter, and added three steals and six rebounds.
For more on Game 1 of the NBA Finals, follow AthleticismThe live blog of.
Jayson Tatum, first-team All-NBA player and face of the Celtics, contributed 16 points and 10 rebounds. Boston didn’t need any of Tatum’s heroics because of the balance restored by Porziņģis’ return. Jrue VacationsBoston’s other big offseason addition, added 12 points, eight rebounds and five assists.
“I think they’re the best team in the NBA and they’re good for a reason,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said.
Derrick White added 15 points for the Celtics, who bombed as a team with 16 3s on 41 tries — continuing another regular season trend in which Boston was the league’s best 3-point shooting team. The Mavericks were 7 of 27 from beyond the arc.
“We have to take out these 3, that’s what hurt us the most,” Dončić said. “I think they’re the best 3-point shooting team in the NBA, so sometimes it’s really hard to take them away. Especially when they have five guys and they can all shoot. Obviously we need to do more. We didn’t make enough shots today to beat them. But we have to be better on both sides.
ESPN NBA analyst Doris Burke made history Thursday by becoming the first woman to call a major men’s sports championship game (NBA Finals, World Series, Stanley Cup, Super Bowl).
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(Photo: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
