NBA Finals Opening Game WINS by CELTICS OVER MAVS, 107-89

The Dallas Mavericks did not have the greatest of times in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.

In the opening game of their best-of-seven series, the Boston Celtics defeated the Mavs 107-89 on Thursday night at TD Garden, thanks in large part to a strong push from former Mavs big Kristaps Porzingis. The Celtics opened up a commanding 29-point lead in the second quarter.

Related Article: Results of UFC 302: Makhachev vs. Poirier Card Winners and Losers

Game 3 of the series will take place in Dallas on Wednesday, and Game 4 will take place there on June 14. Game 2 will return here on Sunday at 7 p.m.

The Celtics started the series with a bang, making seven three-pointers in the opening quarter and allowing the Mavs to only muster nine assists overall.

Coach of the Mavericks Jason Kidd remarked, “Give the Celtics credit.” They played excellent defense, which made things difficult for us.

“We had some strong visuals that held up. We need to get the ball moving. The ball simply stuck too much, and Game 2 will see us improve.

After a three-pointer by Jayson Tatum, Boston went on a game-changing 44-14 run that separated the first and second quarters, giving the Celtics a commanding 58-29 advantage with 4:09 remaining before halftime. The Mavs, many of whom were watching their first NBA Finals, appeared to be in complete disbelief at what was happening in front of them.

Kidd remarked, “I think this is the NBA’s best team, and they are excellent for a reason.” “They play basketball at a rapid tempo in their manner.

“We cannot claim having a case of nervosity or not being in this circumstance as an excuse. It is simply a game of basketball, and on Sunday we must improve as players.

Luka Doncic’s three-pointer at 4:27 brought the Mavs within 72-64 of the Celtics, demonstrating their superior basketball skills in the third quarter. Dallas appeared to be creeping closer, but Dereck Lively II was called for traveling. As a result, the Celtics dominated the third quarter, winning 14-2, and took an 86-66 lead into the fourth quarter thanks to three straight three-pointers from Jaylen Brown, Tatum, and Al Horford.

Point guard Luka Doncic stated, “Obviously, I think they are the best three-point shooting team in the NBA, so sometimes it’s incredibly hard to take them away.” “Especially when they can all shoot and they have five players out.”

Clearly, we need to produce more. We need to improve on both ends even if we didn’t make enough shots to defeat them today.

Additionally, Kristaps Porzingis’s containment needs to improve for the Mavs. In his first game back since spraining his right calf in Game 4 of the Miami Heat first-round playoff series on April 29, Porzingis looked very young and efficient against his old team.

In fact, when Porzingis entered the game for the first time with 7:17 left in the first quarter, the odds were substantially stacked in favor of Boston. Porzingis scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter, which concluded with the Celtics holding a 37-20 lead, riding high on the enthusiasm of the sold-out crowd.

Kidd remarked, “KP was terrific and he hammered down shots.” When he came off the bench, he altered shots, blocked shots, and ignited them.

We only need to up the offensive difficulty a tiny bit. We must force him to act in a different way. He acquired excellent looks and defeated them.

With only one assist, Doncic led the Mavs with 30 points and 10 rebounds, which is a season low and a record low for him in a postseason game. When asked what the Celtics were doing that made it so hard to distribute the ball, Doncic replied, “They play one-on-one the most.” Many aids are sent by them. Thus, it explains why.

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving was enjoying one of his most memorable games ever. Irving, a member of the Boston Celtics from 2017 to 2019, was jeered almost every time he touched the ball and finished with just 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting.

Irving remarked, “I’m used to being in this atmosphere at this time.” “In the beginning of my career, I had a different relationship with Boston and was content to come here and settle with an experienced group. Now that I’m a veteran, I can say that for the last several years, not only have I experienced the playoffs here, but even the regular season has been the same.

“I was anticipating a little more noise in here for Game 2, but I’m still expecting the same things.” The crowd was attempting to pull my teammates and me out of our comfort zones. Once more, though, the attention must be on the game. I thought I was really attractive. They were slightly to the left or right or struck the back rim. I just need to maintain my composure and confidence throughout.

The Celtics showed enough composure to make 16 of their 42 three-point attempts for 38.1 percent of the total and shoot 47.6 percent from the field. Conversely, the Mavs made only 20 of their tries from beyond the three-point arc and shot 41.7 percent from the field. Additionally, the Mavs’ 89 points were the fewest they had scored this season in a playoff game.

P.J. Washington stated, “We just have to keep connected (and) stay united.” “I thought we kind of allowed the audience, the officials, and the people making the shots get to us.” But in the end, all we need to do is be ourselves and stick together.

Leading the Celtis with 22 points was Jaylen Brown, followed by Tatum (16), Derrick White (15), Jrue Holiday (12), and Al Horford (10). In addition to Doncic and Irving, Washington contributed 14 points and eight rebounds, while Jaden Hardy scored 13 points for the Mavs.

The Mavs are definitely not going to freak out after losing the first game of this series, especially considering how they lost in the first round of the playoffs against the Los Angeles Clippers and in the second round against the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Source:
https://www.mavs.com/celticswinseriesopener/

---