Boston Celtics handily beat Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
In the initial portion, the Celtics took command, with center Kristaps Porzingis hitting 18 points from their bench. He had been out for Boston's last ten playoff games due to a strained left calf, sustained in Game 4 of their series against the Miami Heat.
The Mavs found themselves trailing by a whopping 29 points at the break, but they made a commendable comeback in the second half, courtesy of Luka Doncic. This Slovenian superstar was simply unstoppable in the third quarter, scoring a mind-blowing 10 points.
The Celtics, though, took back control of the match, embarking on a stellar 8-0 run that pushed their lead back to a solid double-digit margin. They maintained this advantage over Dallas for the remainder of the game.
Jaylen Brown led the Celtics' onslaught, beating their opponents with 22 points. Porzingis finished with an impressive 20 points and 6 rebounds in just 21 minutes on court. Doncic stood out with a stunning 30 points.
Jayson Tatum, who managed 16 points in the victory, wasn't especially pleased with his performance. "I had far too many turnovers," he admitted in the ABC broadcast post-match. "I need to improve, but for now, we secured the victory tonight. Let's take a break, review the footage, then see how we can step up our game for Game 2."
A moment of silence was observed for Bill Walton before the game at TD Garden, with the legendary NBA player being honored for his life. Walton, a member of the Celtics' 1986 NBA championship team, sadly passed away last month at the age of 71 after a lengthy fight with cancer.
The Walton family and some players from the Boston team wore shirts bearing the words "Walton" in stylish tie-dye lettering.
The subsequent encounter is set to happen on Sunday night in Boston, starting at 8 p.m. ET.
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Despite their valiant effort in the second half, the Dallas Mavericks were unable to catch up to the Boston Celtics, with the US team maintaining a significant lead throughout the game. In the post-match interview, Jayson Tatum expressed his desire to reduce his turnover rate for the upcoming games.
