Match 1 recap
After a long break between the closing games of the Conference Finals for both teams, the Mavs and Celtics met in Game 1 of the Finals at TD Garden. This was billed as the battle of the league’s best backcourts, and only one team came out ready for battle on Thursday night. It was close for about the first five and a half minutes, but Kristaps Porzingis returned from injury after nearly 40 days and put the Celtics on his back by scoring 18 points in the first half. He was the catalyst for Boston’s 23-5 run late in the first quarter, which blew the game away and left Dallas chasing the rest of the game. Luka Doncic tried to pull his team back in the 3rd quarter, cutting a 29-point lead to 8, but his 30 points and 10 rebounds weren’t enough as Kyrie and the rest of the Mavs struggled on the court. While Porzingis provided a spark off the bench, it was Jaylen Brown who set the tone on both ends of the court. He took it upon himself to guard Luka and made plays for him and his teammates on the other end of the court, finishing the night with 22, 6 rebounds, 2 assists, 3 steals and 3 blocks.
