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.
CELTICS TAKE GAME 1 IN BOSTON ?? pic.twitter.com/LJzavZHO0s
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
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
ā Basketball Forever (@bballforever_) June 7, 2024
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.
Jaylen Brown stands TALL at the rim ?
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
š Game 1 on ABC š pic.twitter.com/RCtIXqFxDO
ANOTHER.
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
He's EVERYWHERE defensively right now šŖ https://t.co/rwkI5spp8o pic.twitter.com/mmFgpKOZmB
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.
KP GOING OFF IN THE 1ST š„
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
11 PTS, 4-5 FGM https://t.co/KrpHZMPIos pic.twitter.com/hloj0Lg7pK
KP SAID Nš« pic.twitter.com/QUNqKQZSEc
ā Boston Celtics (@celtics) June 7, 2024
WHAT A RETURN FOR KRISTAPS PORZINGIS š„
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
18 PTS
7-9 FGM
2 3PM
2 BLK
He's the 9th player since 1976-77 to put up 18+ points in the first half of their NBA Finals debut š pic.twitter.com/tbOjKIo2c6
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.
Then JB drills the 3 on the other end!
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
BOS lead back up to 20 to end the 3Q... Game 1 on ABC. https://t.co/dVrxvlAxML pic.twitter.com/L048PvPkfL
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.
ANOTHER.
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
Doncic has 27 and we're back to single digits!
A 20-6 Mavs run on ABC š https://t.co/Hs2FtiKbz5 pic.twitter.com/HB4aGMNiEt
Kyrie with the hesitation move on the baseline š®?šØ
ā NBA (@NBA) June 7, 2024
Mavs starting to chip away in Game 1 on ABC. pic.twitter.com/iyl1J0wLui
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.
Luka cookin' šØ?š³ pic.twitter.com/OSPwQsPSk6
ā Dallas Mavericks (@dallasmavs) June 7, 2024
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.