NBA Finals 2023-24: Porzingis Shines as Celtics Take Lead with Victory Over Mavericks

After being out since April 29 due to a strained right calf, Porzingis came off the bench and immediately got things going, putting up three blocks and six rebounds in only 21 minutes.

In Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night, Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Kristaps Porzingis added 20 points in his first game back after more than a month, and the Boston Celtics easily defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89.

Boston, who led by 29 points in the first half and made 16 3-pointers in a strong start to their chase for an 18th NBA championship, was led by Derrick White, who finished with 15 points.

After being out since April 29 due to a strained right calf, Porzingis came off the bench and immediately got things going, putting up three blocks and six rebounds in only 21 minutes. Six Celtics scored in double figures at the end.

In the third quarter, Dallas narrowed the gap to eight points, but Boston swiftly pulled away once more. Luka Doncic scored 30 points to lead Dallas. P.J. Washington chipped in with eight rebounds and 14 points. Beyond that, though, Dallas’ offensive consistency faltered, as evidenced by the nine assists it received on its 35 field goals for the game.

Kyrie Irving, a former Celtic, had difficulty all game long and only managed 12 points. When he was announced prior to the game on Thursday, he was met with a prolonged and loud chorus of jeers. Every time he touched the ball during the game, it persisted.

Following an altercation with Boston supporters and a citation for making an offensive gesture at TD Garden during the 2022 playoffs, Irving received the therapy.

Following a 10-day break, the Celtics, who are vying for their first championship since 2008, looked relatively unimpaired as they defeated the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.

Throughout, they played with a lot of intensity, passing the ball to shooters for open threes and sharing it in the halfcourt. They also penetrated the Dallas defense from the inside out and made multiple trips to the hoop for dunks.

Also Read: NBA Finals 2023-24: Celtics’ Tatum and Brown Eager to Redeem 2022 Defeat

Aside from Doncic, who made 12 of 26 shots from the field, Dallas found it difficult to settle into its setups quickly and struggled to develop a reliable offensive rhythm. Around halfway through the first quarter, the Mavericks lead by one. In response, the Celtics outscored them 44–16 to win the second quarter 58–29.

The next twelve minutes of play saw a shift in the game as Dallas utilized a 35-14 run, which included 15 points from Doncic, to cut Boston’s lead to 72-64. However, Boston rebounded from the third quarter deficit with a 14-2 run that put them ahead 86-66 going into the fourth.

Dallas has the fewest assists of any NBA team after 36 minutes of any game in the previous three seasons with just five through the opening three quarters.

When Porzingis replaced starter Al Horford with 7:17 remaining in the first quarter, he put an end to his 10-game absence. It was difficult to see that Porzingis was recovering from an injury, save from the white compression sleeve covering his right leg.

Doncic fouled him, but he quickly got into the game, making two free shots. After gaining control, the Latvian made his first field goal of the game by clearing Doncic with a short jumper.

A few minutes afterward, he got loose in the paint and dunked over Derrick Lively with both hands. Jaden Hardy tried a layup, but Porzingis was there to block it on Dallas’ subsequent possession. The ball was moved up the court by the Celtics, who then returned it to their big man, who made a composed 16-footer.

During the last 5:24 of the quarter, Boston went on a 17-5 run, during which Porzingis went 4 for 5 from the field, scored 11 points, blocked two shots, and pulled down three rebounds. Boston went into the second quarter leading 37–20. Porzingis scored 18 points on 7 of 9 shots to end the half.