BALAYAN, Batangas— The Boston Celtics secured their first win, 107-89, in the NBA Playoffs Finals’ Game 1 after going up against the Dallas Mavericks. The game was held at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on June 7, Friday (PHT).
Jaylen Brown led the game for the Celtics after finishing with 22 points and six rebounds.
Kristaps Porzingis made a comeback after being out of the game for more than a month due to his calf injury. He scored 20 points and 8 rebounds. Jason Tatum also contributed 16 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists.
“Tonight was affirmation to myself that I’m pretty good. I’m not perfect but I can play like this, and I can add to this team. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins,” Porzingis said.
Derrick White finished with 15 points for the Celtics, which helped them surge ahead by 29 points during the first half, hitting 16 3-pointers.
“Getting back to this point and being here is really a big deal. But two years ago, we won the first game, and we know the outcome of that series. We still have a lot of work to do,” Tatum said.
During the third quarter, the Mavericks kept up with the Celtics after cutting the gap to eight points, but the Celtics responded with a 14-0 run to extend their lead again.
For the Mavericks, Luka Doncic paved the way for the team with a record of 30 points and 10 rebounds, together with P.J. Washington, who finished with 14 points and eight rebounds.
The Mavericks had a hard time maintaining offensive consistency beyond that point, managing only nine assists on their 35 field goals throughout the game.
“Either you lose, or you win. First to four, we’ve got to focus on the next game,” Doncic said.
The Mavericks managed to lead the game midway through the first quarter. But the Celtics countered by outscoring them 44-16 to make it 58-29 in the second quarter.
Things shifted over the next 12 minutes of game action as the Celtics made a 35-14 run.
Doncic contributed 15 points to cut Boston’s lead to 72-64. However, the Celtics regained control, leading 86-66 as they entered the fourth quarter.