The Boston Celtics comfortably achieved their first win in the finals at home.
On June 7, 2024, the Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 107-89 in Game 1 of the 2023-24 NBA Finals held at TD Garden in Boston.
As the team with the highest overall winning percentage in the regular season, the Celtics displayed a relaxed game management and overwhelmed the Mavericks from the beginning of the game.
In particular, ‘Unicorn’ Kristaps Porzingis, who returned from injury, led the mood by scoring fierce field goals from the first quarter.
Porzingis performed perfectly on offense and defense that day, scoring 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 2 blocks.
Jaylen Brown, who won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP, was also dazzling.
Brown took advantage of the sluggish performance of Jayson Tatum, the team’s top scoring option, and scored 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks, demonstrating his ability as an all-round offensive and defensive player.
Tatum recorded five turnovers on this day and showed a performance that did not live up to his reputation as an ace, but in the end, he contributed to the team’s victory by contributing 16 points, 11 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Celtics’ game plan
The Celtics’ game plan that day was clear.
This is to neutralize the indirect attack option derived from Mavericks’ ace Luka Doncic.
The Celtics had Doncic catch the ball and enter the paint zone, then return the ball to the outside and aim for a 3-point shot.
The marksman defense was thorough and tight to prevent alley-oop plays using Derek Lively or Daniel Gafford.
Doncic continued to attempt one-on-ones on this day and penetrated into the paint zone.
However, as the Celtics blocked all follow-up options that worked well throughout the playoffs, the ball did not flow and the offense did not proceed smoothly.
Still, Doncic was Doncic.
He made 26 field goals, scored 30 points, and grabbed 10 rebounds.
However, except for Doncic, the offensive contributions of the remaining main guns were disappointing.
In particular, Kyrie Irving was quiet with 12 points despite making 19 field goals.
And, on this day, he showed a very poor performance, recording as many as three turnovers.
From the Mavericks’ perspective, there is a need to completely revise the off-ball movements of all players except Doncic.
In the Western Conference playoffs, all opposing defenses rushed to Doncic during offense, creating many outside opportunities with ease.
However, the Celtics entered the first game with the intention of completely blocking the Mavericks’ perimeter attack.
The second game, which will feature a fierce battle of numbers and detailed tactical battles between the two teams, will be held on June 10th at 9 a.m. at the same location in Boston.
by 바카라