With a stellar performance from Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics earned a decisive 107-89 victory over the Mavericks in Boston Celtics vs Mavs NBA finals 2024 Game 1.

The Boston Celtics, fueled by Kristaps Porzingis’ extraordinary performance, made a strong impression in their NBA Finals debut. The Celtics blew a 29-point lead in the first half for a dominant 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night at TD Garden. The win marks the Celtics’ eighth consecutive win, maintaining their perfect record heading into Game 1 this postseason.

Meanwhile, Luka Doncic and the Mavericks now face an uphill battle with Dirk Nowitzki making his first NBA Finals appearance since the 2011 championship win.The Mavericks had won five consecutive road games before Thursday night.

Kristaps Porziņģis powers massive Celtics run

Porzingis, who missed Boston’s last 10 games due to a calf injury suffered in the opening round series against the Miami Heat, returned with a vengeance.

Coming off the bench for the second time in his career, Porziński quickly made up for lost time. He scored eight points early in the first quarter, including a powerful dunk after beating Derek Lively II and a hard shot over Josh Green. This gave the Celtics a double-digit lead and forced the Mavericks to take an early timeout in the first period.

He emerged from the timeout, hit a deep 3-pointer, then quickly blocked a shot on the other end, leading to another Celtics 3-pointer. After a 23–5 run, the Celtics took a 17-point lead – the largest first-quarter lead in Game 1,in NBA Finals history.

Porziski and the Celtics continued their momentum in the second quarter and led by 21 points at halftime. They started the second quarter with a 21-11 run that briefly extended their lead to 29 points and made 11 3-pointers in the first half. Porziński scored 18 points while shooting 7-9 from the field. The Mavericks, meanwhile, struggled and shot just 3 of 13 from beyond the arc.

The Celtics face the Mavericks’ run.

Despite the early deficit, Dallas chipped away at Boston’s lead in the third quarter.Kyrie Irving’s key shots and Doncic’s crucial 3-pointer sparked a 20-6 run, reducingthe lead to just eight points.

That was as close as Dallas got. Boston quickly regrouped after the timeout and finished the period with a 14–2 run. This restored their 20-point lead, leading to a comfortable 18-point victory. Porziński contributed 20 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes. Jaylen Brown led the way with 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting, and Jayson Tatum added 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists despite six turnovers. The Celtics also set an NBA Finals record with seven players making multiple three-pointers.

Despite hitting only 4 of 12 from three-point range, Doncic led the Mavericks with 30 points and 10 rebounds. He was responsible for all but one of Dallas’ 3-pointers. P.J. Washington Contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, while Irving added 12 points. The Mavericks’ total of 89 points was their fewest this season, and they could onlydish out nine assists as a team, in contrast to the Celtics’ 23. Recorded an assist and nine blocks.

Although it’s still early — Doncic and Irving are capable of turning things around — the Celtics appear poised to chase their 18th championship in franchise history. Sunday’s Game 2 isn’t a must-win for Dallas, but the Mavericks need to keep it competitive before the series shifts to Texas. Otherwise, they risk losing control of the chain too soon.

(Boston Celtics vs Mavs)

(Boston Celtics vs Mavs)

(Boston Celtics vs Mavs)

(Boston Celtics vs Mavs)

(Boston Celtics vs Mavs)

(Boston Celtics vs Mavs)