Boston Celtics deliver blowout to Dallas Mavericks to take Game 1 of NBA Finals

The Boston Celtics blew out the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 to take Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

The first half was all Celtics, led by center Kristaps Porzingis, scoring 18 points in the half off the bench. The 28-year-old missed Boston’s last 10 playoff games after straining his left calf in Game 4 of the team’s opening-round series against the Miami Heat.

The Mavericks trailed by 29 heading into halftime but cut the deficit to single digits in the second half behind Luka Doncic. The Slovenian star came out of the gates scorching, scoring 10 points in the third quarter.

However, the Celtics regained control, going on an 8-0 run to extend the lead back to double digits and continued to hold off the Mavericks for the rest of the game.

Celtics forward Jaylen Brown led the team with 22 points, while Porzingis finished with 20 points and six rebounds in 21 minutes played. Doncic scored a game-high 30 points.

Boston star forward Jayson Tatum, who had 16 points in the win, wasn’t thrilled with his performance but credited the team for the win.

“I had way too many turnovers,” Tatum told the ABC broadcast after the game. “I got to be a lot better but we took care of the job tonight. Get some rest, watch film and see what we can do better for Game 2.”

Before tip-off, basketball Hall of Famer Bill Walton was honored with a moment of silence at the TD Garden. Walton – who played on the Celtics’s NBA title-winning team in 1986 – died at the age of 71 after a prolonged battle with cancer last month.

Members of Walton’s family along with players on the Celtics wore black shirts that said “Walton” in tie-dye lettering.

Game 2 is scheduled for Sunday in Boston at 8 p.m. ET.

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