Celtics Defeat Mavericks 107 89 Kristaps Porzingis Back From A Calf Injury Dropped 20 Points Including 18 In The Fourth

MAVERICKS at CELTICS FULL GAME HIGHLIGHTS March 1 2024

Celtics defeat Mavericks 107-89 Kristaps Porzingis back from a calf injury dropped 20 points including 18 in the fourth

The Boston Celtics made a statement early in the NBA Finals with a 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 on Wednesday. Led by a huge return from Kristaps Porzingis, the Celtics took control of the game in the fourth quarter and never looked back.

Luka Dončić with 34, Dinwiddie 23.

Porzingis, who was playing in his first game since injuring his calf in Game 2 of the Western Conference Finals, finished with 20 points and 13 rebounds. He was 8-of-14 from the field including 4-of-7 from three-point range.

Jayson Tatum added 18 points for the Celtics, while Jaylen Brown chipped in with 17.

Porzingis scored 10 of his points in the fourth quarter, including a pair of three-pointers that helped the Celtics break the game open. The Celtics have not named the starting point guard.

The Celtics led by just two points heading into the fourth quarter, but they outscored the Mavericks 33-20 in the final frame.

The Mavericks were led by Luka Dončić, who finished with 34 points, 12 rebounds, and 7 assists. Spencer Dinwiddie added 23 points.

Dinwiddie and Dončić combined for 19 turnovers and 12 assists, while the Celtics had just 10 turnovers.

The Celtics made just 24.1% of their three-pointers, but they were able to win the game by shooting 50.0% from the field and 79.2% from the free throw line.

The Mavericks will look to tie the series when they host the Celtics in Game 2 on Friday.