On Thursday night at TD Garden, the Celtics delivered a tone-setting win in the form of a 107-89 haymaker.
As Boston aims to protect the parquet again and take a 2-0 lead to Dallas, the hosts’ injury report is a clean sheet.
Kristaps Porzingis, who showed no signs of rust in his return from a 38-day absence, came off the bench to spark a 22-5 close to the first quarter. He finished with 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks.
Relishing not only his first chance to play on the NBA’s brightest stage but his first opportunity to suit up for a playoff game past the first round, the former All-Star became the fourth player since the 1970-71 season (when starters were first tracked in the box score) to score at least 20 points off the bench in his first Finals appearance.
“I was so in the moment and enjoying the moment and the crowd and everything,” said Porzingis after the win. “It’s kind of like a blur to me right now. I have to re-watch the game; what happened and stuff. But I was completely just in the game. That’s the best feeling. I had the most fun, and I hope to have more of those moments going forward.”
That the seven-foot-three center, also absent from Boston’s injury reports leading up to Game 1 of the NBA Finals, isn’t on there before Sunday’s matchup speaks well for how the soleus strain in his right calf that sidelined him for most of the Celtics’ playoff run is responding to him logging 21 minutes on Thursday.
His ex-teammate, Luka Doncic, is on the Mavericks’ injury report leading into Sunday’s contest. That’s been a common occurrence this postseason, as the five-time All-Star deals with a right knee sprain and left ankle soreness.
The visitors list him as probable, and there should be no doubt as to whether he’ll play in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, which tips off at 8:00 EST on Sunday night at TD Garden.
Further Reading
Jayson Tatum’s Joy Outweighing Pressure of NBA Finals Return
Inside the Moment that Propelled Celtics to NBA Finals Game 1 Win
Preparation and Perspective Fueling Kristaps Porzingis in NBA Finals
Celtics Set the Tone for the NBA Finals with Game 1 Haymaker
Celtics Stars Reflect on Lessons Learned from 2022 NBA Finals
Kyrie Irving Shares Regret and What He Takes from Playing in Boston
Joe Mazzulla Eviscerates Contrived Narrative about Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown
Al Horford Returns to NBA Finals Aiming to Add to a Legacy Already Cemented