"Loyal to the Oil’: Discovering Faith During the Stanley Cup Finals"

With Kristaps Porziņģis delivering a stellar performance, the Celtics secured a decisive 107-89 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1.

 

The Boston Celtics, buoyed by a significant comeback from Kristaps Porziņģis, made a strong opening statement in the NBA Finals. The Celtics surged to a 29-point lead in the first half and dominated the Dallas Mavericks with a 107-89 victory in Game 1 on Thursday night at TD Garden. This win marks their eighth consecutive triumph and maintains their unbeaten streak in Game 1s this postseason.

**Luka Dončić and the Mavericks**, meanwhile, find themselves trailing in their first NBA Finals appearance since their 2011 championship run with Dirk Nowitzki. Despite coming off five consecutive road wins, they faltered on Thursday night.

**Kristaps Porziņģis Sparks Celtics' Surge**

Porziņģis, who had missed Boston’s last 10 games due to a calf injury sustained in their opening-round series against the Miami Heat, made an impactful return. Coming off the bench for only the second time in his career, he quickly found his stride, scoring eight early points in the first quarter. This included a powerful dunk over Dereck Lively II and a contested shot over Josh Green, pushing the Celtics to a double-digit lead and forcing an early Mavericks timeout.

Emerging from the timeout, Porziņģis sank a deep three-pointer and quickly followed up with a block, setting up another Celtics' three-pointer. This sparked a 23-5 run, giving Boston a 17-point lead, the largest first-quarter margin in a Game 1 of NBA Finals history.

Porziņģis and the Celtics extended their dominance into the second quarter, entering halftime with a 21-point lead. They started the quarter on a 21-11 run, briefly stretching the lead to 29 points, and sank 11 three-pointers in the first half. Porziņģis scored 18 points, shooting 7-of-9 from the field. The Mavericks struggled, hitting just 3-of-13 from beyond the arc.

In the third quarter, Dallas began chipping away at the deficit. Key baskets from Kyrie Irving and a timely three-pointer from Dončić fueled a 20-6 run, reducing Boston’s lead to eight points.