NBA Finals: Doncic’s 30 points not enough as Celtics bomb Mavericks with 3s, win Game 1

Despite 30 points from Luka Doncic, the Mavericks were blown out, 107-89, by the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

The Celtics jumped on Dallas early, leading by as many 29 points in the first half with the return of Kristaps Porzingis to the lineup and a barrage of 3-pointers. Porzingis was unstoppable inside and out and played solid defense around the rim.

The Mavericks would cut Boston’s lead to 8 points in the third quarter and seemed poised to get back in the game, but Boston made some critical 3-pointers and Dallas didn’t, and the lead was soon back in double-digits.

The Celtics closed the third quarter on a 14-2 run that gave Boston a 86-66 lead entering the fourth quarter.

The Celtics outscored the Mavericks, 48-21, from the 3-point line.

The Mavericks may have been the been the most impressive team in the postseason leading up to the finals, but the Celtics sent a clear reminder of why they had the NBA’s best record this season.

Jayson and Jalen

Jayson Tatum and Jalen Brown have both had more impressive performances than what they showed in Game 1, but Boston’s star forwards were able to impact the game in more ways beyond just scoring. Brown had one stretch where he blocked an alley-oop to Derrick Jones and then blocked a Jones dunk attempt. He had three steals including picking Doncic’s pocket for a wide open transition dunk.

Tatum struggled to find a rhythm with his shot and had six turnovers, but he pounded Dallas on the glass with 11 rebounds and paced Boston with five assists. Brown and Tatum spent a lot of time guarding Doncic and Kyrie Irving and were able to wear both down along with help from teammates like Jrue Holiday and Derrick White.

Brown and Tatum combined for five 3-pointers and finished with 22 and 16 points. It should be concerning for Dallas to lose by this margin despite neither star having a phenomenal game.

Doncic’s effort not enough

If there’s a word to describe Doncic’s performance in Game 1 it would be relentless. Despite an off night from Kyrie Irving and Boston’s offense seeming like it couldn’t miss a shot, Doncic continued to attack despite the vast number of defenders Boston threw at him. After having a respectable 17 points in the first half, Doncic was even more aggressive to start the third.

At one point Doncic had more points than the entire Boston team with just over four minutes remaining in the quarter. Doncic hit two straight deep stepback 3-pointers to cut Boston’s lead to 72-64 as he had 27 points and nine rebounds at that point. As brilliant as Doncic was in the quarter, all of his work was ultimately undone as the Celtics went on a 14-0 run. Doncic missed two 3s including an open catch and shoot opportunity at the top of the key and after each miss, Boston capitalized with 3s from Tatum and Al Horford.

Doncic, who made 12-of-26 shots, didn’t get much help from Irving, who finished the game shooting just 6-of-19 from the field. It continues an up and down postseason for Irving, who has seen his points and efficiency fluctuate from game to game. Without Irving’s shots falling, Boston was comfortable letting Doncic work hard to get his points. The Celtics also took away playmaking opportunities as Doncic had just one assist and the Mavericks were unable to consistently generate the open corner 3-pointers and lobs at the rim.

The Celtics ability to guard Doncic and Irving one-on-one with little to no help was crucial as role players like P.J. Washington and Derrick Jones Jr. had to work much harder to produce points.

Porzingis’ return

Despite missing the last 10 games with a leg injury, former Maverick Porzingis showed no signs of rust from his calf injury. Porzingis made an immediate impact coming off the bench with 11 points and two blocks in the first quarter that sparked a 23-5 blitz of Dallas. Porzingis’ got going matched up against Doncic, drawing a trip to the free-throw line after Doncic switched onto him in the high post.

These matchups would continue to be fruitful for Boston as Porzingis knocked down mid-range shots over Josh Green and Jaden Hardy while also knocking down a 3. Green tried to dunk on Porzingis at the end of the quarter, but he was rejected as Porzingis continued to thrive on both ends of the court. It was the first game of his career past the first round of the postseason and he delivered on the biggest stage.

Porzingis had seven more points in the second quarter and produced a plus-minus of +15 in 13 minutes. The Mavericks’ frontcourt of Dereck Lively II and Daniel Gafford has been able to hold their own much of the postseason, but they combined for just 10 points. The Mavericks’ heavy switch scheme of defense also took them away from matching up with Porzingis one-on-one. Porzingis finished the game with 20 points and three blocks.

Avalanche of 3s

One reason the Celtics were able to capture the best record in the NBA was the prolific 3-point shooting. The Celtics attempted a league-high 42.5 3-pointers per game and still finished second in the league in 3-point percentage. When 3s are falling, Boston becomes a juggernaut and the Mavericks found themselves on the wrong end of a hot shooting night.

In the first half alone the Celtics launched 27 3-pointers and shot nearly 41% with 11 makes. Seven of the eight players that touched the floor in the first half made a 3 and the only that didn’t, Peyton Pritchard, still attempted four of them. With the Mavericks focusing on limiting Tatum and Brown’s drives to the basket, that’s naturally going to create looks for players like Al Horford and Derrick White.

But just as the 3-point shot propelled Boston to a 29-point lead it also helped spark the Mavericks’ comeback attempt. Boston made just one of its first eight 3s in the third as Dallas whittled the lead down to single digits. But just as the game was beginning to tilt towards Dallas, Boston hit three straight 3s to put the game away.

The Celtics finished shooting 38% from 3-point range, 16 of 42, and the Mavericks shot a dismal 7 of 27 (26%).

How Dallas guards Boston from the 3-point line will be a key storyline the rest of the series.