BOSTON — In addition to airing every game of the 2024 NBA Finals on our station, WFAA is also hosting a special presentation called "The Pregame" before each and every matchup in the series. Head here for more information.
The first quarter of Game 1 in the NBA Finals surely didn't go as the Dallas Mavericks drew it up.
Despite having endured a nine-day layoff between the end of the Eastern Conference Finals and the opening contest of the battle for the NBA's title, the Boston Celtics came out swinging on Thursday night, looking in top form.
Dallas, meanwhile, came out looking very much like a team that itself hadn't played a basketball game in seven days.
On the strength an unreal opening performance from former Mavericks center Kristaps Porzingis -- coming off the bench after having personally sat out the last 38 days with an injury -- the Boston Celtics started out dominating Game 1. And, for his part, Porzingis contributed 11 points, three rebounds and three blocks in the frame.
But how dominant was the Celtics' start, exactly?
Well, as play-by-play man Mike Breen pointed out in the game's broadcast on ABC, it turns out it was the most dominant first quarter performance in NBA Finals history. Yes, really: The team's 17-point lead with a 37-20 score at the end of the first is actually the largest first quarter lead ever in an NBA Finals since the ABA/NBA merger in 1976.
It's not, it should be noted, the largest first-quarter beatdown in the NBA Playoffs, however. Interestingly, that moment only came just last year as the Los Angeles Lakers ended the first quarter of Game 3 in their 2023 opening round matchup against the Memphis Grizzles with a shocking 26-point lead and a downright brutal 35-9 score.
The Grizzlies lost that one in the end -- but came back some for a final score of 111-101.
Maybe the Mavericks can take solace in that?
