Bersinar Porzingis, Brings Celtics Winning In Game 1 Against Mavericks

Kristaps Porzingis (right) and Jayson Tatum are the heroes of the Boston Celtics victory. (photo: x @celtics)

Kristaps Porzingis made a brilliant comeback to the pitch after 37 days of absence. He contributed greatly to the Boston Celtics 107-89 win over Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Final 1 on Thursday 6 June night or Friday morning WIB. Playing in the NBA Final for the first time, Porzingis came off the bench and scored 20 points, helping the Celtics build the dominant lead since the start of the game.

Porzingis, who has been sidelined since April 29 of a right calf injury, quickly found his rhythm. He scored 8 of 13 shots while adding six rebounds and three blocks in just 21 minutes. "Even though I was absent, I could go straight back and feel the same way," Porzingis said. "I know how to do it. That's the point, having confidence, going there whatever it is, the first half or the final, going there with full confidence and giving what I have for the team."

Celtics built a 29-point lead towards the end of the first half, but Mavericks bounced back in the third quarter, led by Luka Doncic. Doncic scored 10 points in the 22-9 period that brought Dallas closer to eight points at 72-64 with 4:28 remaining time in the third quarter. However, Boston responded by winning 14 points in a row to regain control of the game and maintain a comfortable advantage until the end of the game.

Jaylen Brown leads the Celtics with 22 points, six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Jayson Tatum contributed 16 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White added 15 points. Remembering the win, Tatum remembered the 2022 Final, where Boston won Game 1 against the Golden State Warriors but ended up losing in a six-match series.

"It's really fun to win the first game," said Tatum, "but we know that two years ago we won the first game and the result of that series. So we still have a lot of work to do."

Doncic scored 30 points and 10 rebounds for Dallas, while Washington's PJ scored 14 points, Jaden Hardy added 13, and Kyrie Irving scored 12 points despite being ridiculed by Boston audiences throughout the night. "I think it will be a little tougher here, but I expect the same thing ahead of Game 2," Irving said. "The crowd tried to annoy me, my team left our elements."

Although Porzingis did not start the game, the impact was immediate after entering with a remaining 7-7 in the first quarter giving the Celtics a positive tone. He scored 11 points and blocked two shots in the first quarter, helping Boston lead 37-20 The biggest first-quarter lead in the history of Game 1 Final.

Celtics extended their lead to 58-29 with a period of 14-2 in the second quarter, but Doncic's nine points in the last four minutes of the first half helped Mavericks close the gap to 63-42 at half-time.

Despite Mavericks and Boston's efforts to maintain at least 17 points out of the fourth quarter. Dallas coach Jason Kidd found positive things in the team's surge in the third quarter and performance in the fourth quarter. "There's a lot of good in the third and fourth quarters we can build," Kidd said. "That's what we talked about after the game, and that's what we have to do."

The NBA Final 2 game will take place on Sunday 9 June in Boston, where the Celtics will seek to build on their strong start and Mavericks will try to equalize.