The Boston Celtics outclassed the Dallas Mavericks in several departments to cruise to victory in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday.
Boston, due to a 23-5 run at the end, led 37-20 to open the first quarter. Kristaps Porzingis returned from injury and immediately logged 11 points on 4 of 5 shooting, including 2 of 2 3-pointers. Doncic posted seven points, but a combination of suffocating defense and hot shooting proved too powerful to handle early on.With the 17-point lead, the Celtics made history with the largest first-quarter point differential in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
On the other hand, Porzingis led all scorers with 18 points on 7 of 9 shooting while Jaylen Brown supported him with 13 points on 5 of 7 shooting. Boston made 11 3-pointers by the interval compared to just three for Dallas.A 22-9 run by Dallas in the third quarter closed the gap to 72-64 and put pressure on Boston, but the Celtics responded immediately with 14 unanswered points to swing the momentum and essentially seal the game.
Boston, who deploy the best starting five in the league, had all starters eclipse double-digit points. Porzingis cooled off in the second half but still recorded 20 points on 8 of 11 shooting, six rebounds and three blocks. Joe Mazzula's eight-man rotation worked to near perfection, with backup guard Payton Pritchard being the lone stain after going 0 of 7 from the field, including four missed 3-pointers.
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Best NBA Betting Odds and Trends for Mavericks vs. Celtics NBA Finals Game 1Breaking down the latest odds and trends to know for Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Celtics and Mavericks.
Read more »
Mavericks vs. Celtics NBA Expert Prediction and Odds for NBA Finals Game 1 (Can BostoBetting odds, pick and prediction for Game 1 of the NBA Finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics.
Read more »
NBA Finals: Predictions for Boston Celtics vs Dallas MavericksGame-by-game predictions for the 2024 NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks.
Read more »
NBA Finals preview: How the Mavericks can conquer the Celtics at NBA FinalsNick Angstadt LockedOnMavericks & PatTheDesigner LockedOnBulls share how we'll respond if the Dallas Mavericks win/lose Game 1
Read more »
NBA Finals live updates: Boston Celtics dominating Dallas Mavericks in third quarter of Game 1This is additional taxonomy that helps us with analytics
Read more »
Live updates: Celtics-Mavericks NBA Finals, Game 1Dallas is back in the finals for the first time since 2011. Follow along with Doncic, Kyrie Irving and the rest of the Mavs as they continue their hunt for a...
Read more »