Jayson Tatum, Celtics Win G1 vs. Mavs as NBA Fans Hype Porziņģis' Return from Injury

Don't call it a comeback.

It was fair to wonder how effective Kristaps Porziņģis would be in his return from a calf injury for the first time since the opening round of the playoffs, but he was downright dominant while helping lead his Boston Celtics to a 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals at TD Garden on Thursday.

He finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks while shooting 8-of-13 from the field. His individual brilliance in the first half staked the Celtics to a 29-point lead, which they never relinquished.

Jaylen Brown (22 points, six rebounds, three steals and three blocks) and Jayson Tatum (16 points, 11 rebounds and five assists) also stuffed the stat sheet, which helped Boston counter a double-double of 30 points and 10 rebounds from Luka Dončić.

Tatum and Brown are the constants, but it was Porziņģis who exceeded expectations and drew plenty of reactions from social media:

These Finals are a golden opportunity for the Celtics to finally deliver a championship during a span that has seen them reach at least the Eastern Conference Finals in six of the last eight years, especially with Porziņģis returning to the lineup.

And return to the lineup he did.

Porziņģis came off the bench and was suddenly the best player on the floor on both ends. His blocks, shooting and overall presence was the primary reason Boston built a commanding 17-point lead after the first quarter alone, and a stretch that saw him drill a three and swat two shots sent the crowd into a frenzy.

It seemed like the game was essentially over when Boston took a 21-point lead into the halftime locker room, especially since Tatum had just eight points. But the star didn't need to take over with Porziņģis dominating and Brown impressing while picking Dončić's pocket on one end and blocking everything in sight on the other.

It wasn't quite over, though, because leads are never fully safe when Dončić is on the floor.

The Mavericks star went on his inevitable run in the third quarter to cut the lead to eight, but Boston's response was yet another testament to its position as the best team in the NBA. It unleashed a flurry that included a Porziņģis dunk, Tatum three, Al Horford three and even more Brown blocks.

Just like that, the lead was back to 20 heading to the fourth.

The Mavericks never threatened down the stretch, and it certainly didn't help that Kyrie Irving was an ugly 6-of-19 from the field. He will have to be much better if they are going to steal home-court advantage during Sunday's Game 2.