The GIST: With a glass ceiling smashed in the broadcast booth, the on-court action was historically one-sided as the Boston Celtics defended the parquet, securing last night’s Game 1 victory against the Dallas Mavericks.
Celtics dominate from the start: Accumulating the third-largest halftime lead in NBA Finals Game 1 history, the Cs easily won with a score of 107–89. Eastern Conference (EC) Finals MVP Jaylen Brown excelled on both offense and defense, while Kristaps Porziņģis made a remarkable comeback with 18 first-half points in his first game since late April.
It wasn’t just the Celtics’ superstars performing well — a record seven Boston players made multiple three-pointers in the game. Teamwork was truly the key to success.
Looking ahead to Game 2: The Celtics, who finished at the top of the Eastern Conference, will aim for a similar performance in Sunday’s 8 p.m. ET Game 2 at The Garden. There is room for improvement, as All-NBA First Teamer Jayson Tatum scored only 16 points in the previous game. It’s possible he’s saving his best for later in the series.
As for the Mavericks, they have a lot of ground to make up. Luka Dončic had an impressive 30-point double-double, but his teammate Kyrie Irving and the rest of the team struggled to make an impact — partially due to the tough defense by the Celtics, but also because of their own poor shooting. The Mavericks will need to regroup and strategize if they hope to level the series on Sunday.
