The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 of NBA Finals on Thursday at Boston’s TD Garden.
Kristaps Porzingis had a 20-point performance for the Celtics as he made his return to the lineup for the first time in over a month after suffering a calf injury in Game 4 of the first-round series against the Miami Heat. Jaylen Brown led with 22 points, while Jayson Tatum scored 16 and led Boston with 11 rebounds.
Luka Doncic led the the Mavs with a game-high 30 points but only one assist, while Kyrie Irving scored 12 points on 6-for-19 from the field, and P.J. Washington had only 14 points and eight rebounds
Defensively, the Celtics showed why they’ve been the best team on that end in the regular season and playoffs. They racked up nine blocks on the night, led by three from both Brown and Porzingis.
The Celtics will host the Mavericks for Game 2 at TD Garden this Sunday at 8 PM EST, scheduled to air on ABC.
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