The Boston Celtics have won game one of the 2024 NBA Finals. On Thursday at the Toronto Dominion Garden in Boston, Massachusetts, the Celtics pounded the Dallas Mavericks 107-89.
Six Celtics reached double digits in scoring. Shooting guard Jaylen Brown of Marietta, Georgia had 22 points, center Kristaps Porzingis of Liepaja, Latvia had 20 points, small forward Jayson Tatum of St. Louis, Missouri had 16 points, point guard Derrick White of Parker, Colorado had 15 points, point guard Jrue Holiday of Chatsworth, California had 12 points, and center Al Horford of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic had 10 points.
Even though Brown led the Celtics in scoring, the overall performance by Porzingis in a non-starting role was simply extraordinary. The Latvian came over to Boston in the offseason from the Washington Wizards for one reason, and that was to supply a dramatic impact. There is no question he delivered. Porzingis had three first quarter blocks, six rebounds and was a +13.
The Celtics took control from the opening tip-off and simply dominated the first half. They outscored the Mavericks 63-42 in the opening 24 minutes. Boston outscored Dallas 37-20 in the first quarter and 26-22 in the second quarter. The Mavericks were marginally better in the second half as they outscored the Celtics 47-44 in the final 24 minutes, but did not have the overall, offensive skillset to make the game competitive. It was a strong game for Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who had 30 points, but the bottom line is the fact that point guard Kyrie Irving needs to be better. The Melbourne native only scored 12 points. Game two is back in Boston on Sunday.
