The Boston Celtics secured a convincing 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the NBA Finals. Jaylen Brown led the way for Boston, scoring 22 points as five of his teammates also reached double figures. The Celtics’ defense was equally impressive, helping them establish a commanding 29-point lead in the first half at the TD Garden in Massachusetts. Despite a strong performance from Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who finished with 30 points and 10 rebounds, Dallas found themselves trailing by eight points in the third quarter. Kristaps Porzingis made a successful return from injury for the Celtics, scoring 20 points, including 11 rebounds, against his former team after missing 10 games with a calf injury during the playoffs. While the Mavericks showed glimpses of their potential in the third quarter, Doncic highlighted the need for his team to build on those moments and play their brand of basketball consistently. Despite a disappointing result in game one, Dallas will look to find positives to build on heading into game two, which is set to take place on Sunday at the TD Garden in Boston. The Celtics are aware of the importance of game one in NBA Finals history, with 70% of champions having won the series opener. As they look to surpass the Los Angeles Lakers in total championship wins, Boston will aim to maintain their momentum and secure a 2-0 series lead against the Mavericks.
