Mavs and Kleber face a setback as the title race kicks off.
For the first time since Dirk Nowitzki's era, the Dallas Mavericks are fighting for the NBA championship. In their showdown with the Boston Celtics, they are clear underdogs. This is apparent in Game 1: Maxi Kleber and his team suffered a crushing defeat.
The Dallas Mavericks, led by Maxi Kleber, endured a heavy loss in the opening game of the NBA Finals. Against the unbeatable Boston Celtics, the Texans had no chance, with Kristaps Porzingis making a significant impact. The Latvian, who had been sidelined due to a calf injury and came off the bench, scored 11 points and also made a name for himself defensively.
"It wasn't ideal to be an outsider," said Porzingis: "But I did everything I could to mentally prepare myself. It worked out." Porzingis prevented a Mavericks comeback attempt, as the Celtics had built a 29-point lead in the first half. Six Celtics players scored 20 or more points.
Meanwhile, the Mavericks struggled to find their offensive groove against the best regular-season team, with superstar Luka Doncic, who has been the face of the franchise since Nowitzki's retirement, scoring 30 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. However, Kyrie Irving only managed 12 points on 19 shots. "We just have to step up our offensive and defensive game and focus on the next game," said Doncic after the loss.
"Someone like him will score - our job will be to contain the other guys as well as we can," said Celtics star Jayson Tatum to ABC about Doncic. "These are the NBA Finals, the Mavericks won't just give up. We have to step up our defense." Tatum had a double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds. The second game will take place on Monday night in Boston.
Kleber scored two points, one assist, and one block in his first Final game in 19 minutes. The Mavericks have reached the Finals for the third time in their history, the first time since the Nowitzki era. In 2006, they were beaten by Miami after a 2-0 lead (2-4), and Nowitzki led his team to their first victory in 2011 (4-2).
