Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis (C) blocks a shot by Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic (L) during the first half of Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday in Boston. Photo by C.J. Gunther/EPA-EFE
June 6 (UPI) -- Kristaps Porzingis came off the bench and scored 18 points in the first half against his former team, sparking a Boston Celtics rout of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Thursday in Boston.
The 7-foot-2 center was a menace on defense, rejecting several shots and altering others, while backing down smaller defenders on offense, when he wasn't draining 3-pointers, in the 107-89 victory at TD Garden. He finished the night with 20 points and six rebounds.
"He played great," Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters, when asked about Porzingis. "That's the K.P. that helped us get to where we are today,"
Celtics forward Jaylen Brown scored a team-high 22 points in the victory. The Celtics outshot their Finals foes 47.6% to 41.7%. They also held a 23-9 edge in assists and made 16 3-pointers, compared to the Mavericks' seven.
The Celtics and Mavericks kept it close early on before the home team ended the first quarter on a 23-5 run and carried a 37-20 edge into the second. The 17-point advantage was the largest Game 1 first-quarter lead in NBA Finals history. Porzingis scored 11 over those first 12 minutes.
The Celtics put together another 14-2 run in the second quarter, pushing their advantage to 28 and led 63-42 at halftime. Brown scored nine in the second quarter, while Porzingis chipped in seven.
Mavericks All-NBA guard Luka Doncic, who scored 17 in the first half, poured in another 10 in the third quarter. The Mavericks outscored the Celtics 22-9 through the first 7:32 of the quarter, cutting the deficit to eight points. But the Celtics answered with a 14-0 run to crush their hopes of a comeback.
The Mavericks held a 23-21 scoring edge over the final 12 minutes, but couldn't cut the deficit to less than 17 in the fourth quarter.
Doncic totaled a game-high 30 points, with 10 rebounds, but logged just one assist in the loss. Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving totaled 12 points and two assists.
Jayson Tatum recorded 16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists for the Celtics.
"Whether you lose, or you win, it's the first to four [wins]," Doncic said. "We have to focus on the next game."
The Celtics will host the Mavericks in Game 2 of the best-of-seven game series at 8 p.m. EDT Sunday in Boston. Game 3 will be Wednesday in Dallas.
