Inside The Celtics

Celtics Set the Tone for the NBA Finals with Game 1 Haymaker

Bobby Krivitsky

Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) dunks against Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) and forward Maxi Kleber (42) in the third quarter during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Jun 6, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (8) dunks against Dallas Mavericks forward P.J. Washington (25) and forward Maxi Kleber (42) in the third quarter during game one of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports / David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
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It was imperative that the Celtics threw the first punch and protected the parquet to set the tone for the NBA Finals. Mission accomplished.

Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench to a massive ovation from the TD Garden faithful. He provided an infusion of energy, showed no signs of rust, and led a Boston blitz that saw the hosts take a 37-20 advantage into the second quarter, tying for the second-largest lead after the first frame in NBA Finals history.

Not only did Dallas fail to match the Celtics' energy, but the latter did an outstanding job of taking away two of the visitors' favorite methods of manufacturing points: corner threes and lobs.

That the Mavericks only had three attempts of the former, not making one until the final minute of the game, encapsulated the defensive masterpiece produced by Boston on Thursday.

That the hosts had as many blocks (nine) as Dallas did assists, with the visitors trailing on that front until the final minute in the matchup, is a testament to which side played with more force and imposed its will on this contest.

Now for a deep dive into what unfolded at TD Garden as the Celtics snapped the Mavericks' five-game road win streak by delivering a 107-89 haymaker to claim Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

1. Game 1 of the NBA Finals arrived 38 days after Kristaps Porzingis suffered the soleus strain in his right calf that sidelined him since Game 4 against the Heat in the first round. With that and continuity in mind, Joe Mazzulla opted to keep his starting lineup intact, with Al Horford at the pivot and Porzingis coming off the bench.

Mazzulla shared before Thursday's matchup tipped off that the Latvian native is not on a minutes restriction.

2. At the 7:17 mark, the seven-foot-three center rose from the bench to a massive ovation from the TD Garden faithful as he stepped from the scorer's table onto the parquet.

The former All-Star immediately made an impact, drawing Luka Doncic on a switch that evoked excitement from the crowd as he got the ball on a post-up opportunity against his former teammate.

Porzingis parlayed that into a pair of free throws. He was just getting started.

He later followed that up with a dunk and swatting a Jaden Hardy layup attempt at the other end for one of his two blocks in the first quarter. He got Josh Green on a switch, and, for as physical as the six-foot-five wing tried to get, bumping Porzingis several times, he couldn't knock the Celtics center off his spot. The Latvian native then faced up and drilled a jump shot over him.

Porzingis, playing with an edge and relishing his first chance to play not only in the NBA Finals but in a game past the first round of the playoffs, finished the opening frame with 11 points on 4/5 shooting. He was the lone player on either side to reach double digits.

3. With Porzingis leading the way, Boston feeding off its home crowd, and the Mavericks faring 2/8 from beyond the arc and shooting 37.5% from the field, the hosts outscored their guests 22-5 in the period's final 6:19.

They entered the second quarter with a 37-20 advantage, tied for the second-largest lead after the first frame in NBA Finals history.

4. The following 12 minutes were a low-scoring affair, a result only palatable to one side. The Celtics outpaced Dallas 26-22 in that stretch.

While Sam Hauser recaptured his shooting rhythm, knocking down both threes he hoisted in the first half, and he and Payton Pritchard provided an infusion of energy off the bench, thanks to Porzingis, who entered intermission with 18 points, Boston's second unit generated a 24-4 edge over the Mavericks'.

Dominating the battle from beyond the arc, limiting the visitors to 3/13 (23.1%) while converting on 11/27 (40.7%) of their threes, was also crucial to boasting a 63-42 lead at the break.

Furthermore, the Celtics did a stellar job executing their points of emphasis on defense, not allowing a single three-point attempt from the corner. They also didn't give up any points on lobs.

5. While Doncic delivered 17 points in the first 24 minutes, between effective switches, help defense, and the job Jrue Holiday, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum did, making him work for what he got, it required 14 mostly well-contested shots for him to reach that mark.

It was a first-half performance that won't have the hosts changing their approach against him.

6. By necessity, Dallas came out with more energy to start the second half. The Mavericks manufactured a 12-4 advantage in the paint, earned six second-chance points, and Doncic went 4/8, tacking on ten more points.

7. However, they could never find their rhythm from three-point range. Dallas went 2/8 in another period where it had to rely mostly on scoring from inside the arc.

Even with the visitors narrowing the gap from 21 to nine on a Doncic three, the inevitable counterpunch came with unmatched energy and physicality.

Between a block party that featured two emphatic rejections at the rim by Brown, including one on Irving, and the Celtics converting stops into an up-tempo approach that sparked effective ball movement and created quality shots, the hosts staged a 14-0 run before a pair of Daniel Gafford free throws to close the quarter brought the score to 86-66 entering the last 12 minutes.

8. In a reflection of Boston's dominance on Thursday, the hosts had more blocks than Dallas had assists until a Josh Green three from the corner in the final minute evened that at nine. It was also the lone corner triple the Mavericks made on a night where their five-game road win streak ended courtesy of a 107-89 haymaker from the Celtics.

According to NBC Sports Boston's stats guru, Dick Lipe, Jaylen Brown, who finished with a team-high 22 points, six rebounds, three blocks, and three steals, helping the Celtics win their eighth straight playoff game for the first time in their illustrious history, became the first player in franchise history to register at least 20 points, three blocks, and three steals in a Finals game in Thursday's series-opening victory.

9. Game 2 of the NBA Finals is on Sunday night. It will tip off at 8:00 EST at TD Garden.

Further Reading

Celtics Stars Reflect on Lessons Learned from 2022 NBA Finals

Kristaps Porzingis Details Mental Side of Rehab as He Readies for NBA Finals Return

Kyrie Irving Shares Regret and What He Takes from Playing in Boston

Celtics' All-Defensive Guards Relishing Chance to Defend Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic

Jayson Tatum Grateful for Second Chance in NBA Finals

Joe Mazzulla Eviscerates Contrived Narrative about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown

Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals Has Kyrie Irving Between Boston and Banner 18

Al Horford Returns to NBA Finals Aiming to Add to a Legacy Already Cemented

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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