BOSTON — The Celtics had nine full days off before Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. Boston certainly was ready for the moment as the Celtics earned a 107-89 blowout win Thursday night at TD Garden.
The Celtics took a 1-0 lead in the best-of-seven series.
Check out the full box score here.
ONE BIG TAKEAWAY
Kristaps Porzingis had even an bigger layoff than his teammates. The 7-foot-2 center hadn’t played in over five weeks due to a calf strain, and there was uncertainty how he would look when thrust into the Finals.
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Well, Porzingis showed right away there was no need to worry about him.
Porzingis, who Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla opted to have come off the bench instead of start, made an immediate impact on both ends of the court in the first quarter.
Porzingis made 4-of-5 shots in the opening frame to score 11 points and also added three rebounds and two blocks, including one on Boston villain Kyrie Irving. Porzingis at one point scored eight straight points for the Celtics, who finished the first quarter on a 15-2 run and went on to lead by as many as 29 points in the second quarter.
The Celtics needed that cushion that Porzingis helped provide as the Mavericks got within eight in the third quarter. But Boston responded as the walls closed in to put away the Mavericks in Game 1.
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But Porzingis looking healthy and making his mark answers one of the major questions going into this series.
STARS OF THE GAME
— Porzingis scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half and finished shooting 8-for-13 from the field. He also added six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.
— Jaylen Brown was immense on both ends of the floor. The Celtics star poured in a team-high 22 points to go along with six rebounds, two assists, three steals and three blocks. Brown can add a couple plays to his highlight reel as he dunked over Mavericks center Daniel Gafford in the second quarter and had an emphatic block on Irving in the third quarter.
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— Doncic was mostly his usual self as he paced the Mavericks offense. The star guard netted a game-high 30 points and grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double. The only thing Doncic didn’t do is get his teammates involved as he recorded just one assist.
UP NEXT
The Celtics will look to carry the momentum they created into Game 2 on Sunday. Tipoff from TD Garden is scheduled for 8 p.m. ET.
Featured image via David Butler II/USA TODAY Sports Images
