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Porzingis shines in NBA Finals debut as Celtics turn back Mavericks for title series head start

Published June 7, 2024, 11:44 AM ● Pao Ambat
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No stage is too big for Kristaps Porzingis, even in his first NBA Finals.

Kristaps Porzingis returns with a bang to lead the Celtics to a powering Game 1 Finals win over the Dallas Mavericks. | Photo (c) Boston Celtics

Kristaps Porzingis waited for this moment for nine years. 


In his first game back in 38 days, Porzingis returned and did not disappoint against an old foe. 


Porzingis sizzled early and finished with 20 points, while Jaylen Brown added 22, as the Boston Celtics gave the Dallas Mavericks a rude NBA Finals welcome with a strong 107-89 Game 1 win at home.


Porzingis came back after missing 10 games and seems to not lost a step, dropping his first 20-point outing this playoffs and in the biggest stage of the NBA Finals against the team he spent with for three seasons.

Kristaps Porzingis drops 20 PTS, 6 REB, 3 BLK on 62% FG as the Celtics beat the Mavs 107-89 to TAKE GAME 1! pic.twitter.com/jhgxs9xkm0

Brown, the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, picked up where he left off and came up with another stellar game on both ends, adding five rebounds, six assists, three steals, and three blocks.

The Latvian big man checked in the game with 7:17 seconds into the first and immediately made an impact. He scored 11 points already in the first with some impressive defensive plays and came up with 18 markers in the first half.

After seeing their lead cut down to single digits at 72-64, the Celtics ended the third quarter on a 14-2 run to pad the lead back to a 20-point game, 86-66.

That was before the Mavericks opened the third frame on a 22-9 blitz, with Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combining for 16 points in that run after trailing by as much as 29 points in the first half.

The Celtics, who drilled 16 triples all-game long, went on to hold the upper hand en route to a rousing win in their first Finals game back in Boston since 2022.

Jayson Tatum added a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds while Derrick White added 15 for Boston, who now won eight straight playoff games and clamped up on defense with 9-1 blocking advantage.

Meanwhile, Doncic dazzled for the Mavericks with 30 points and 10 rebounds, becoming the first player with a 30-point double-double in a NBA Finals debut since Tim Duncan in 1999.

Irving struggled t with 12 points on a sub-par 6-of-19 shooting and received a loud and extended chorus of boos when he was introduced before the game. It continued throughout the game whenever he touched the ball.

In their first Finals game in 13 years, the Mavericks fell to a flat start and scored 42 points in the half, struggling to find their touch beyond the arc all-game and finished on a measly 7-for-27 (26%) clip.

P.J Washington churned out 14 points while Jaden Hardy added 11 points for Dallas, who got their five-game road winning streak snapped.

Game 2 of the Dallas-Boston championship series on Monday, June 10 at 8:00 a.m. (PH time). This will be aired LIVE on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, RPTV, and the Pilipinas Live app.

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