NBA Finals 2024: Early Storylines to Track for Remainder of Mavs vs. Celtics

The Boston Celtics’ quest for a record-setting 18th NBA championship is off to a great start.

The Shamrocks showed zero signs of rust during Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals despite having nine days off since sweeping the Indiana Pacers out of the Eastern Conference finals. Boston blitzed the Dallas Mavericks with a 37-20 edge in the first quarter and essentially maintained that advantage while cruise-controlling its way to a series-opening 107-89 triumph.

While one game, of course, doesn’t determine a series’ outcome, there were developments during that contest that could shape where things go—or how things need to change—from here. Let’s dig into three storylines worth tracking for the remainder of this championship clash.

There were myriad reasons to wonder how Kristaps Porziņģis would fare on Thursday night. Beyond playing under basketball’s brightest lights for the first time or suiting up against his former squad, Boston’s 7’3″ big man was hitting the hardwood for the first time in more than five weeks due a to a calf strain he suffered in the first round.

Suffice it to say, the big fella understood—and aced—the assignment. He made his presence felt on both ends of the floor, providing the offense with shot-making, spacing and a release-valve scoring while using his length to lock down the paint. In just 21 minutes of action, he piled up 20 points (on 8-of-13 shooting), six rebounds and three blocks.

“Kristaps had a monster game for us,” Jaylen Brown told reporters. “Just his presence shooting the ball and then him being able to attack those switches and mismatches, he made ’em pay every time, and that’s what we need going forward in the series.”

If Porziņģis, who doesn’t have the cleanest injury history, maintains anything close to his level, the Mavericks could be in for a long series—or perhaps a rather short one, actually. Boston targeted him as a potential missing piece last offseason, and Thursday’s phenomenal showing highlighted how he can make that type of impact.

Because Luka Dončić, the bronze medalist in this year’s MVP voting, is nearly equal parts potent as a passer and scorer, he forces opponents to decide which element of his game they want to take away.

It’s supposed to be a pick-your-poison proposition, as he often stacks up major stats in both categories. On Thursday, though, he did a decent job getting himself going (30 points on 12-of-26 shooting), but he couldn’t generate anything for his teammates. His 38 minutes of floor time produced just a single assist, the fewest he’s had in a game this season and ever in the postseason.

As a team, Dallas managed only nine assists and not coincidentally produced its lowest point total of these playoffs.

“We’ve got to move the ball,” Mavericks coach Jason Kidd told reporters. “The ball just stuck too much.”

The lob passes and drive-and-kick chances that seemed to come so easily to Dallas in its trek out of the Western Conference’s side of the bracket never materialized. The Celtics seldom sent extra help or double-teams at Dončić or Kyrie Irving, allowing their defenders to erase passing lanes and wipe out potential scoring chances. Throw in an off night from Irving (12 points on 6-of-19 shooting), and Dallas was essentially drawing dead in Game 1.

While these Celtics have been the NBA’s best team all season, they aren’t unbeatable. Opponents can’t, however, just out-talent them. Boston’s roster is too loaded for that.

So, the Mavericks have to find ways to win in the margins. They need to create advantage points on the stat sheet that allow them to make up for that talent deficit.

None of that happened on Thursday.

The Mavericks were out-rebounded 47-43 and drew even at 10-10 on the offensive glass. They managed to limit their own turnovers (11) but didn’t force many out of the Celtics (12). Dallas’ interior finishers were quiet, as Daniel Gafford and Dereck Lively II got up just four shots in their combined 32 minutes. The shooters were non-existent, as the Mavs managed just seven three-point makes (four from Dončić) to the Celtics’ 16. Irving, who often seemingly spawns scoring chances out of nothing, was a non-factor with 16 combined misses and turnovers against 14 combined points and assists.

Dallas needs to find some way to flip at least a few of these areas decidedly in its favor, or this series could be over before it ever really gets going.