Porzingis sets the tone as Celtics limit Doncic in stunning NBA finals opener

The Celtics’ Kristaps Porziņģis dunks over the Mavericks’ Dereck Lively II during the first quarter of Thursday’s Game 1 of the NBA finals.Photograph: Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

“You want Boston?” asked the mock-incredulous hype video voiced by the part-owner of Birmingham City FC, who had a decent career dabbling in the other kind of football. “Take it from me,” warned Tom Brady. “That’s a bad idea.”

Hard to disagree after the first game of the best-of-seven NBA finals. The Boston Celtics crushed the Dallas Mavericks, 107-89, though at its core the occasion was a tale of the unwanted.

Related: NBA finals: Celtics rout Mavericks in Game 1 win as Porziņģis returns in style

Booed by New York Knicks fans when the team drafted him as the fourth overall pick in 2015, Kristaps Porziņģis suffered a torn ACL in 2018 and was traded the following year to the Mavericks, where he was again dogged by injury and struggled in Luka Dončić’s shadow. Dispatched to the woeful Washington Wizards in 2022, the 7ft 2in Latvian was sent to the Celtics last year.

Misfortune struck again when he sustained a calf injury against the Miami Heat on 29 April, and Boston hardly seemed to notice the 28-year-old’s absence, losing only one of the next 10 games. He was conspicuous in his comeback at the TD Garden on Thursday, though, emerging off the bench to catalyze a first quarter that set the tone for much of the night.

Porziņģis scored 18 points in his first 13 minutes as lethal shooting from distance saw Boston rush to a 17-point lead after the first quarter, extending their advantage to 21 points at the half. In total Porziņģis contributed 20 points, second among the Celtics to Jaylen Brown, with 22. “Man, I’m glad he’s back,” said his teammate, Jayson Tatum, afterwards on ESPN/ABC.

“Fighting for a spot on the offensive end, being physical, making plays on both ends o the floor, I thought he played great,” said the Boston head coach, Joe Mazzulla.

“I was so into the moment, the crowd, even from the moment that I was walking out to warm up, I was getting goosebumps,” Porziņģis told ESPN….

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/porzingis-sets-tone-celtics-limit-073042903.html

Author : The Guardian

Publish date : 2024-06-07 07:30:42

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