Jaylen Brown delivered a standout performance as the Boston Celtics displayed dominance in a 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in game one of the NBA Finals.
The 27-year-old led the scoring with 22 points, supported by five teammates who also achieved double figures, as the Celtics pursued their 18th title win.
The Celtics’ defense was formidable, contributing to a commanding 29-point lead in the first half at the TD Garden in Massachusetts.
Despite a strong effort from Mavericks‘ star Luka Doncic, who secured 30 points and 10 rebounds, narrowing the deficit to eight points in the third quarter, the home team pulled away decisively in the final quarter.
Kristaps Porzingis made a comeback for the Celtics after a 10-game absence due to a calf injury during the playoffs. Facing his former team, the Latvian contributed 20 points, including 11 from rebounds.
While the Mavericks may draw encouragement from their performance in the third quarter, it was an overall disappointing night for the Texan side.
Boston will host game two of the best-of-seven series on Sunday, aiming to surpass the Los Angeles Lakers, who also have 17 NBA Championship titles. They are aware that historically, 70% of NBA Finals have been won by the team victorious in game one.