Kristaps Porzingis kept everyone guessing about his health status heading into the NBA Finals. With a smile, he playfully dodged questions from reporters, saying, “Good question. I don’t know. We’ll see.” The former All-Star had missed Boston’s last 10 games due to a calf strain, making his condition the most talked-about aspect leading into the high-stakes matchup between the Celtics and his old team, the Dallas Mavericks.
Despite Boston’s impressive 9-1 postseason record without Porzingis, they had mostly faced weaker, injury-ridden Eastern Conference teams. The Mavericks, led by Luka Doncic, presented a formidable challenge, especially for an injured big man. Doncic, renowned for his pick-and-roll prowess, is adept at exploiting defensive weaknesses, and a 7-foot-2 center with a calf strain would seem like an easy target.
When Porzingis entered Game 1 with just over seven minutes left in the first quarter, Doncic immediately tested his former teammate. Calling for P.J. Washington to set a screen, Doncic aimed to force a switch against Porzingis. Instead, he navigated through an impending double team, splitting the defense before Porzingis could react and finishing with a spectacular layup.
At that moment, it seemed Boston’s fears might be coming true—Porzingis appeared too slow. Teams have been known to lose series against Dallas for such vulnerabilities. Fortunately for Boston, this instance proved to be an anomaly. By the end of the first quarter, Porzingis showed his mobility was back, sprinting across the court for a transition block and swatting away a Kyrie Irving shot while moving laterally. His stats for the night were impressive: 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in just 21 minutes. Porzingis was a force on both ends of the court, demonstrating why he was pivotal to Boston’s stellar regular season and crucial in this particular matchup.
Dallas seemed utterly unprepared for a fully functional Kristaps Porzingis.
Boston’s strategy to protect Porzingis from the Mavericks’ dangerous ball-handlers was clever. They opted to challenge the less reliable Dallas 3-point shooters. After Doncic’s early success against Porzingis, Irving attempted a similar approach. However, when Derrick Jones Jr. set a screen to free Irving, Porzingis sagged back while Jrue Holiday chased Irving, daring him to pass to Jones for a three-pointer. Jones, a 31.6% career 3-point shooter, missed the shot.
This defensive gamble paid off. Jones made only 39.6% of his deep shots in the first three playoff rounds but reverted to his career average in Game 1. He missed both of his three-point attempts. P.J. Washington went 0-for-3 from beyond the arc. Collectively, Dallas shot a dismal 7-of-27 from three-point range. While this might not be sustainable over a series, Boston only needed it to work for Game 1. Their defensive strategy allowed Porzingis to focus on rim protection, where he excelled due to his sheer size and verticality.
Porzingis’ towering presence had a significant impact, particularly on Doncic’s preferred lob passes. Although Dereck Lively II managed to draw a foul on one play, Doncic had to overthrow the pass to ensure Porzingis couldn’t disrupt it, showcasing just how much Porzingis could influence the game.
In conclusion, Kristaps Porzingis demonstrated that he is indeed healthy and remains a formidable force, creating major problems for the Mavericks. His performance highlighted his importance to the Celtics’ success and underscored why Boston is a serious contender in these NBA Finals.
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