BOSTON — Kristaps Porzingis declined to make predictions about how his body would respond heading into the NBA Finals after spending more than a month on the sidelines with a calf injury.
Very good, it turned out.
Jaylen Brown scored 22 points, Porzingis made an immediate impact off the bench and added 20 and the Boston Celtics topped the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 on Thursday night in Game 1.
Derrick White finished with 15 points for Boston, which led by 29 points in the first half and hit 16 3-pointers in a powerful start to its quest for its 18th NBA title.
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Porzingis, a 7-footer who had been sidelined since April 29, added six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.
“Tonight was a confirmation for myself that I’m pretty good,” Porzingis said. “I’m not perfect, but I can play like this and I can contribute to this team.”
The last Celtics player to take the court for pregame warmups, he said he received a jolt of energy from the home crowd, which exploded when he emerged from the tunnel.
“Adrenaline was running through my veins,” Porzingis said.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla wasn’t worried that the layoff would affect Porzingis’ aggressiveness.
“That’s the KP that helped us get to where we are today,” Mazzulla said. “No matter how long the player is out, he’s going to make plays.”
Kristaps Porzingis, playing for the first time since April 29, scored 18 of his 20 points in the first half to lead the Celtics in Game 1 of the Finals. KeynoteUSA Photo/Charles Krupa
All-Star Jayson Tatum finished with 16 points and 11 rebounds. Six players scored in double figures for the Celtics, who will host Game 2 on Sunday.
“Getting back to this point and being here is really, really important,” Tatum said. “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.”
Dallas cut the deficit to eight points in the third quarter, but Boston responded with a 14-0 run to quickly pull away again.
“That’s when the game started,” Brown said.
Luka Doncic led Dallas with 30 points. PJ Washington added 14 points and eight rebounds. But Dallas couldn’t find offensive consistency beyond that, tallying just nine assists on its 35 field goals during the game. The Mavericks did not score 25 points in any quarter.
Doncic said the lopsided loss wouldn’t dampen the spirit of a team that lost the opener in three of four series this postseason.
“You either lose or you win,” Doncic said. “First to four, we have to focus on the next game.”
Former Celtic Kyrie Irving struggled throughout the game and finished with 12 points. He received a loud and prolonged chorus of boos Thursday when he was introduced before the game. He continued throughout the game every time he touched the ball.
The treatment came after Irving clashed with Boston fans and was fined for using an obscene gesture during a 2022 playoff visit to TD Garden.
“I thought there was going to be a little more noise here,” Irving said. “I expect the same thing (in Game 2). The crowd is trying to get me out of my element. It’s not the first time I’ve lost in Boston. I don’t want to make it a habit.”
The Celtics, seeking their first championship since 2008, showed little rust following their 10-day layoff after sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals.
They flowed with energy throughout, sharing the ball in the half court and getting the ball to shooters for open three-pointers. They also attacked the inside of Dallas’ defense and got to the rim for several dunks.
Meanwhile, aside from Doncic, who was 12 of 26 from the field, Dallas struggled early to get into its sets and couldn’t find a consistent offensive rhythm.
The Mavericks led by one midway through the first quarter. The Celtics responded by outscoring them 44-16 to make the score 58-29 in the second.
Things changed over the next 12 minutes of play as Dallas used a 35-14 run, including 15 points from Doncic, to cut Boston’s lead to 72-64. But the Celtics were back up 86-66 entering the fourth.
Dallas had just five assists through the first three quarters, the fewest any NBA team has had in 36 minutes in any game over the past three seasons.
“We have to move the ball,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “The ball got too stuck.”
Porzingis ended his 10-game hiatus when he came off the bench with 7:17 left in the first quarter in place of starter Al Horford. With the exception of a white compression sleeve on his right leg, it was difficult to tell that Porzingis was coming off an injury.
He got into the mix quickly, making a pair of free throws after being fouled by Doncic. One possession later, the Latvian scored his first field goal when he launched a short jumper over Doncic.
It wasn’t over.
Minutes later he broke free in the paint for a two-handed dunk over Dereck Lively II. On Dallas’ next possession, Porzingis was there to deny Jaden Hardy’s layup attempt. The Celtics pushed the ball down the court and got it back to their big man, who calmly buried a 16-foot shot.
It was part of a 17-5 Boston run in the final 5:24 of the quarter in which Porzingis went 4 of 5 from the field, scored 11 points, blocked two shots and grabbed three rebounds. Boston led 37-20 into the second quarter.
Porzingis finished the half with 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting.
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