BOSTON — News, notes and observations from the Boston Celtics' 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday…
Returning to Boston's lineup for the first time in more than five weeks, Porzingis had an impressive game in Game 1, scoring 20 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), six rebounds and three blocks. Coming off the bench for the first time this season, Porzingis made an immediate impact, scoring 11 points in the first seven minutes to help the Celtics take a 37-20 lead.
“Even if I have some time off, I'll come right back and it'll be the same feeling,” Porzingis said. “I'll get to where I'm at, so I know what I have to do, whether it's the playoffs or the regular season, and that's it. I'm just going to go out there confident, whether it's the first round or the Finals, I'm just going to give my all to this team.”
Boston played solidly in the conference playoffs, losing only one game to the Celtics after Porzingis missed the first round with a calf injury, but Boston was visibly stronger with Porzingis' return. Porzingis dominated the Mavericks on offense, using switches to force the Dallas big men to chase him beyond the 3-point line. Defensively, Porzingis was a menace, contesting any shots he didn't block and taunting Mavericks wing players with screens to get the ball to the rim.
“He was great for them,” Mavericks star guard Luka Doncic said, “he was making shots, he was blocking shots, so he was really big for them on both ends of the court.”
As excited as the Celtics were to have Porzingis back, the 7-foot-2 big man was even happier to be there. He got a thunderous ovation when he warmed up a few hours before the game, and then the crowd roared when he appeared on the JumboTron, walked down a back hallway and onto the court.
“It was just unbelievable to have that support,” Porzingis said. “I had that adrenaline pumping through my veins and it definitely helped me. Obviously it wasn't ideal being out for that long, but I prepared myself as much as I could mentally for this moment when I came back and it paid off and I got the job done tonight and played a good game.” [I’m] I am happy with the results.”
Coming into this series, the Celtics believed they were uniquely equipped to defend Doncic. They had two All-Defensive Team members (Jrue Holiday and Derrick White) and Jaylen Brown was probably an All-Defensive Team worthy selection. Doncic had points (30 points on 12-of-26 shooting) but finished with just one assist, his lowest of the season. The lob that led Dallas' offense in the conference finals? Gone. The corner 3-pointer? Taken. The Mavericks' nine assists were their lowest of the season.
“They played great defense and made it hard on us,” Dallas coach Jason Kidd said. “We had some good chances and just didn't convert. We've got to move the ball. We got too caught up on the ball.”
“I thought our intent was right in terms of defensive thinking, defensive execution, defensive game plan, positioning, everything. I thought we defended without fouls for the most part and played very physical,” Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla said.
Credit Brown for sticking with Doncic for most of the 37 minutes. Brown has the size and strength to stay in front of Doncic and the discipline to not fall for his pump fakes. By not sending out double teams, Boston stifled the rest of Dallas' offense. When Kidd waved the white flag in the fourth quarter, only two Mavericks players had scored in double figures — Kyrie Irving and P.J. Washington — but both had at least 14 points.
“What you saw tonight is kind of the challenge that he's set for himself coming into the year,” Mazzulla said. “I don't want to be defined by one thing. I want to make plays. I want to be a well-rounded player and just get better and better. So, his spacing, his ball movement, his defense with the ball and without the ball.”
The animosity the TD Garden crowd had toward Irving never materialized. It's hard to get too excited when your team is trailing by double digits for most of the game. Irving's return to Boston was a disaster, finishing with 12 points (on 6-of-19 shooting), two assists and three turnovers. While Irving had to play most of the game against Holiday, the former All-Star Many There were plenty of open shots, including several from beyond the 3-point line, including three in the third quarter that briefly cut Dallas' lead to single digits.
“They really rely on great defensive ball pressure and man-to-man defenders,” Irving said. “They get us into certain areas. Even though I said they rely on man-to-man, every time I take an ISO, there's two or three guys there waiting for me to get in. I have to be live dribbling to get the ball and be mindful of my opportunities.”
The Celtics have dominated opponents' 3-point attempts all season, leading the league in attempts (42.5 per game) and second in succession rate (38.8%). In Game 1, the Celtics made 7 of 15 3-pointers in the first quarter to build a double-digit lead that they never relinquished.
Hauser struggled in the conference finals, shooting 12.5 percent from the field and making just one 3-point shot in four straight games against the Indiana Pacers, but he shook off his struggles in Game 1, scoring eight points and making both of his 3-pointers. When Dallas went after him in the first half, Hauser answered back by smothering Doncic with two attempts and forcing Irving to miss a 3-pointer.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver didn't offer an answer during his annual pre-Finals press conference. Silver declined to comment on reports that the NBA has agreed to framework deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon, but didn't answer a specific question about whether Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of longtime NBA broadcast partner Turner, has the right to match any deals.
“It's complicated for a couple of reasons,” Silver said. “One is the emergence of new platforms, especially streaming, and the interest of streaming companies, but also traditional media companies carrying our games on streaming platforms. It's complicated because we have multiple partners wanting similar assets. A lot of the time it's just figuring out the right way to balance those games as they cross over to different partners.”
“We tend to do long-term deals, which we think is good for the stability of the league, but to some extent you're trying to predict the future, which of course is impossible. So part of it is a bet on the partners you end up working with and their ability to adapt with the times, their willingness to continue to invest in media and to go global, which is very important for the league.”
