The Boston Celtics are the favorites in the NBA Finals – and have more than lived up to this role in the opening match. In the 107:89 win against the Dallas Mavericks, one returning player in particular is causing excitement.
The favored Boston Celtics dominated the opening game of the NBA Finals, winning 107:89 against the Dallas Mavericks. After the first quarter, the hosts were already leading by more than 15 points, and at one point their lead over the team featuring stars Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving as well as Würzburg’s Maxi Kleber was as high as 29 points. The second game of the series will be played in Boston again on Monday night (2 a.m.). Four wins are needed to win the title.
Doncic was the most successful shooter of the evening with 30 points, but like his teammates, he had big problems with three-pointers. The Mavericks only hit 25.9 percent of their attempts from distance. Doncic also only had one assist. “Someone like him will score – our job will be to limit the other guys as best we can,” Celtics star Jayson Tatum told ABC. “This is the NBA Finals, the (Mavericks) are not going to give up easily. We have to fight back.” Tatum had a double-double of 16 points and 11 rebounds.
After an even start with baskets for both teams, the Celtics pulled ahead by 17 points in the last six minutes of the first quarter. Kristaps Porzingis was particularly outstanding in this phase in his first game after 38 days of injury. Against his former team, he scored from long distance and blocked three attempts by the Mavericks within a few minutes. He finished the evening with 20 points, making him the Celtics’ second-best scorer after Jaylen Brown. “I’m glad he’s back,” Tatum said of Porzingis. “I confirmed to myself today that I’m fine,” said Porzingis.
Kleber scored two points, one assist and one block in 19 minutes in the first Finals game of his career. For the Mavericks, it is the first Finals series since winning the title with Dirk Nowitzki in 2011.
Source: Stern
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