Celtics notebook: Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving makes a triumphant return to the Garden

Al Horford, left, and the Boston Celtics are ready to take on Dallas and Kyrie Irving, shown as a member of the Brooklyn Nets during a Feb. 1, 2023 game in Boston. Game 1 of the NBA Finals between Boston and Dallas is Thursday in Boston. (Staff Photo/Matt Stone/MediaNews Group/Boston Herald)

Kyrie is coming to town.

The Dallas Mavericks made that a reality by eliminating the Minnesota Timberwolves 124-103 in Game 5 of the Western Conference finals on Thursday night at Target Arena.

The Boston Celtics will host the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday at the TD Garden.

Mavericks guard Kyrie Irving transitioned from a loving to a hateful relationship with the Boston fan base during his two tumultuous seasons (2017-19) in Celtics’ green. Irving has returned to face the Celtics in his subsequent incarnations with the Brooklyn Nets and the Mavericks, but the spotlight of his presence will shine like a supernova in the NBA Finals.

“Playing with Kyrie was very special and he is the type of player that just opens up a lot for everybody else,” said Celtics veteran center Al Horford. “I benefitted a lot from that in the time that he was here.

“Our fans they care. They care about the Celtics and they care about Boston. This has been spoken about already and when he left it wasn’t ideal. I know the fans, it’s the finals regardless of who is coming in and who’s not. It’s going to be lively. It’s going to be exciting and loud.

“The TD Garden is going to be ready to go. It is those environments that you want to play in, you are in the finals. This is the big stage and don’t expect anything less from our fans. They are going to be who they are and that’s just the way it is.”

Irving has been an impactful player in Dallas’ run to the NBA Finals. Irving appeared in 58 regular season games, averaging 35 minutes, 25.6 points, 5.2 assist and 5.0 rebounds per game. Irving upped his court time in 17 postseason games, averaging 40.2 minutes, 22.8 points, 5.2 assists and 3.9 boards. Irving scored 36 points in 40 minutes in the closeout game against the Timberwolves.

That’s the Kyrie Irving that had the attention of Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla as he put his club through the paces on Friday morning at Auerbach Center in Brighton. Mazzulla doesn’t view Irving as a Texas villain riding into town wearing a black hat. He sees Irving as the guard who makes the blue team go.

“Listen, he is a great player,” said Mazzulla. “He does a lot of good things just the way he carries himself and how he’s has played this postseason.

“He has been one of the fun things to watch and one of the themes in the NBA. He is a great player and he has done a lot of great things over the course of his career and he is playing really well.

“You have to expect that. You have to be ready to guard him at a high level and that’s the most important thing.”

Dynamic duo

Mazzulla showed his irascible side when asked about the underlying friction that is said to exist between the Celtics’ two superstars, first team All-NBA forward Jayson Tatum and Eastern Conference playoffs MVP Jaylen Brown.

Mazzulla insisted that narrative is “unfair” and only exits outside the 617 area code. According to Mazzulla, Tatum and Brown have a healthy working relationship built over multiple seasons that complements both players. On this one, Mazzulla didn’t hold back.

“I’m kind of depending how deep I really want to get into that because the whole thing about that really pisses me off and I think it is unfair to both of them,” said Mazzulla. “I think it is stupid that people have to use those two guys’ names and use information they don’t know to create things so they can stay relevant.

“It’s really unfair that those two get compared. They are to completely different people, two completely different players. They are great teammates and they love each other and they go about their playing and going about their process in different ways.

“Why they have to be lumped together is unfair. People use it for their own relativity. At the end of the day, those two guys, their relationship is their relationship. They love each other and push each other every single day in practice and they communicate with each other but they go about winning differently.

“I think they are getting unfair (treatment) being compared to each other. You see other duos around the league that don’t have to go through that. It’s because of the platform they are on and because they have been so successful their entire careers. They have been able to have long stand success at a high level so people need them to stay relevant.

“They should not talk on speculation. They should get to know them as people. They are two of the greatest teammates and players you could ever have. It’s been an honor to coach both of them but it doesn’t mean they have to be the same.”

There was no reading between the lines with that answer.

Holiday wishes

Celtics point guard Jrue Holiday is hoping to see 7-2, 240-pound center Kristaps Porzingis back in uniform for Game 1 against the Mavericks.

“KP is one of the best scorers and he’s one of our best rim protectors,” said Holiday. “I feel like we are all mature enough to get back in the groove and having him fit right back in whenever he comes back.

“We do want KP back. We do want him to be back and be part of this and it is important to him.”

Porzingis was on the floor performing drills at the end of practice and Mazzulla said he’s getting close. Porzingis has been on the shelf since suffering a right calf strain in Game 4 of the Celtics opening series against the Miami Heat.