Celtics Dominate Mavericks in Game 1 of NBA Finals
Brown Returns, Porzingis Shines
The Boston Celtics took a commanding lead in the NBA Finals after routing the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 on Tuesday night. Led by Jaylen Brown's 25-point performance in his return from injury and Kristaps Porzingis' 20-point contribution, the Celtics controlled the game from start to finish. Porzingis, who missed the last two games of the Eastern Conference Finals with a calf injury, showed no signs of rust, scoring 18 of his points in the first half.
Mavs Duo Struggles
Despite the return of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving, the Mavericks offense struggled to find its rhythm. Dončić, who averaged 32.4 points per game in the regular season, was held to just 20 points on 8-of-21 shooting. Irving, meanwhile, finished with 18 points but was inefficient, going 7-of-18 from the field. The Mavericks shot just 39.1% from the field and 25% from three-point range.
Celtics' Depth Proves Too Much
In contrast to the Mavericks' struggles, the Celtics' bench provided a major spark. Malcolm Brogdon chipped in 18 points, while Derrick White added 11 and Grant Williams had 10. The Celtics' bench outscored the Mavericks' reserves 43-19.
The Celtics now hold a 1-0 lead in the series and will look to take a commanding 2-0 lead when Game 2 tips off on Thursday night.
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