BOSTON (Diya TV) – Game 1 of the NBA Finals showed clear differences between rest and rust. The Boston Celtics certainly fit the former, dismantling the Dallas Mavericks 107-89. After a lengthy break from the conference finals, the C’s stars showed up.
Recent addition Kristaps Porzingis lit up the court early on with 11 points and three blocks in his first seven minutes of action. The former Maverick finished the game with 20 tallies. Porzingis made his return after being out since late April. Head coach Joe Mazzulla was impressed with the seven-footer’s play.
“It doesn’t matter how long [Porzingis] is off,” Mazzulla said. “He’s going to make plays.”
Even with the contributions from Porzingis, it was guard Jaylen Brown who led Boston in scoring with 22 points of his own. He also forced six turnovers leading to opportunities on the other end of the floor. All-Star forward Jayson Tatum notched a double-double as well with 16 tallies and 11 boards.
Conversely, it wasn’t the prettiest day for the Mavs when it came to shooting. The entire Dallas starting five combined to go 23% from beyond the arc. Boston also keyed in on Kyrie Irving, holding the star guard to 12 points. However, the silver lining was the play of Luka Doncic, who recorded a double-double.
The Mavericks must find some consistency on offense going into Game 2 on Sunday. It is yet to be seen whether Game 1 was an indicator of how this series will play out or if Dallas can bounce back in a big way.
