Boston's Depth Proves Too Much for Dallas
Luka-Kyrie Duo Struggles, Celtics Ground Mavs Bigs
The Boston Celtics drew first blood in the 2024 NBA Finals with a dominant 107-89 victory in Game 1 at TD Garden. The Celtics' depth proved too much for the Dallas Mavericks, who struggled to contain Boston's balanced attack. The Celtics' bench outscored the Mavericks' bench by 34 points, with key contributions from Derrick White, Malcolm Brogdon, and Grant Williams.
The Mavericks' star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving combined for just 37 points on 12-of-31 shooting. Doncic uncharacteristically struggled with his shot, finishing with 17 points on 5-of-17 shooting. Irving added 20 points on 7-of-18 shooting.
The Celtics were able to limit the impact of the Mavericks' big men, Christian Wood and Dwight Powell. Wood and Powell combined for just 21 points and 12 rebounds. The Celtics' defense was particularly effective in the paint, where they held the Mavericks to 32% shooting.
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