You suspect the likes of LeBron James and Steph Curry were hoping this chapter in USA men’s basketball history would be remembered in the same vein as the 1992 Dream Team, but the truth is it’s been a largely uneventful run for the Americans in Paris.
They’re not going to change the game on a global scale like Michael Jordan and Co did in Barcelona, or be cherished like Kobe and the Redeem Teamers were for returning their country to the top of the basketball world in Beijing.
The Americans will (probably) win gold and (probably) win it comfortably this weekend, but they’ll join the likes of the 2000 and 2016 teams in getting the job done with a minimum of fuss.
The only semi-interesting storylines to this point have been the minor controversy over Jayson Tatum getting a DNP early in the group stage and Joel Embiid getting booed relentlessly by French crowds upset he’s not playing for them.
Which, if you know basketball fans, leads to the inevitable habit of crystal ball-gazing. Specifically, about potential NBA trades.
It doesn’t happen every four years but there’s a couple of very famous examples of superstar players joining forces after forging bonds on an Olympic trip.
LeBron, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh changed the league by uniting in Miami after winning gold together in 2008.
Redeem Teamers LeBron James, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade. (Photo by Marc Serota/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and DeAndre Jordan did the same in Brooklyn after living on a yacht together in Rio, albeit with contrasting results.
So hoops fans are looking for any slight indication a player from their favourite team is becoming particularly chummy with one of his US teammates.
James and Curry were in focus when the Americans first assembled.
NBA Finals rivals for four straight years from 2015-18 – a period where there were moments you felt the King really didn’t like the three-point wizard from Golden State – James and Curry have become great buds in recent years.
They spoke often about their excitement at playing together and recent comments by Curry — where he said he wants to be a Warrior for life but “things change quickly” in the NBA — gave some life to the idea of him joining forces with the Lakers veteran.
Kyrie Irving, Kevin Durant and DeAndre Jordan forged bonds in Rio in 2016. Picture: GettySource: Getty Images
But James and Curry probably make too much money to fit on the same team at this point of their careers.
Outside of those two, Durant and Devin Booker’s situation in Phoenix is far from settled given what their owner is forking out for a team that has so far fallen short. Embiid is another who often hears speculation about his future in Philadelphia.
But the name on the lips of the most NBA fan bases is Anthony Edwards. The breakout star of this year’s NBA playoffs does not exactly play in the most appealing of destinations with the Minnesota Timberwolves.
If you gave every team the ability to sign one young American talent they’d almost all pick the recently turned 23-year-old shooting guard.
Which brings us to this photo.
Anthony Edwards and Bam Adebayo share a laugh together. (Photo by Jim Poorten/NBAE via Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Edwards is a jokester who can make anyone laugh but the chemistry he appears to share with Miami Heat big man Adebayo has the rumour mill running.
To make matters worse for Wolves fans, Heat coach Erik Spoelstra is in Paris too serving as an assistant coach under Steve Kerr.
“Anthony Edwards really loves Bam Adebayo and Erik Spoelstra. He loved his experience with them,” NBA media personality Bill Simmons said on a recent podcast.
“Don’t be surprised … story drop,” Simmons added. “Am I dropping it now?”
Both Adebayo and Spoelstra have spoken glowingly about the man leading this USA team in scoring.
“He’s authentically himself,” Adebayo said to The Star Tribune. “He’s not going to change.
“He’s going to be the same person every day, on the court, off the court.
“You see on TV, when some of y’all make these moments go viral. It’s really like, ‘This is just you’. This is one of the things I love about Ant. He’s himself. He’s not going to change.
“He’s one of those guys where he can say something wild, as we heard, but it’s him being himself.”
Anthony Edwards pats Bam Adebayo on the back. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
“He wants to win, wants to be a part of winning,” Spoelstra added. “He’s dedicated to the process of it and he’s going to be him, and his personality.
“He’s not going to change just because he’s on a team of this caliber. I think that’s the beauty of his personality.”
Many are rightly pointing out Edwards recently signed a five-year contract extension tying him to the Wolves until 2028.
But a move doesn’t have to happen immediately. Paris might just be planting seeds that blossom down the road.
And it’s not unheard of for NBA players to push their way out of situations early. So remember this photo.
The Boomers have given Team USA a big scare, rallying back from a 24-point third-quarter deficit to go down 98-92 in the early hours of Tuesday morning (AEST) in Abu Dhabi.
Australia was behind 65-41 early in the third and even trailed by as many as 18 points in the fourth but refused to go away, fighting until the very end.
Josh Giddey was a standout with 17 points, eight rebounds and seven assists and as the game went on he developed a strong connection with Boomers big man Jock Landale, who was arguably Australia’s best with 20 points, seven rebounds and six assists.
Will Magnay, meanwhile, appears to have the jump for the back-up big man role after a strong showing while both established and emerging Boomers shone as Dyson Daniels and Matthew Dellavedova impressed.
Josh Giddey caught fire in the second quarter and didn’t look back. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)Source: AFP
Australia started the game with Giddey and Patty Mills sharing the backcourt, with Daniels, Nick Kay and Landale rounding out the line-up.
Meanwhile, Team USA, who was without Kevin Durant (calf), started Steph Curry, Anthony Edwards, Jayson Tatum, LeBron James and Joel Embiid.
Landale set the tone for what was a busy opening from the Boomers big man as he hustled on the boards for the first bucket of the game before James drained an open look from deep.
Landale though responded with a 3-pointer of his own as both teams found plenty of success from downtown early, with Edwards hitting his first three attempts of the game while Daniels even confidently sunk a triple.
Australia was well and truly keeping in touch with Team USA at that point, trailing 14-13 as Brian Goorjian made his first changes of the game, bringing in Josh Green, Dante Exum and Magnay for Daniels, Mills and Landale.
It was a well-deserved breather for Landale, who had seven points and four boards at that point, while it was notable that Magnay was the first big to come off the bench ahead of Duop Reath, with the JackJumper impressing in his minutes.
Meanwhile, Edwards continued to be lightning in a bottle for Team USA as he crossed over Magnay and then splashed the stepback 3-pointer.
That brought up 11 early points for Edwards and had Team USA ahead 19-13 as Goorjian called a timeout.
Team USA got a scare. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)Source: AFP
The Boomers responded with a 6-0 run to tie up the game as Exum fed Magnay in the paint for back-to-back buckets before Giddey drove towards the rim to score on Anthony Davis for his first field goal.
It didn’t take long for Team USA to re-establish its lead, kicking back out to 32-21 by the end of the first quarter as Australia’s offence struggled to get anything going late after going scoreless on six of its last seven possessions.
A lot of that came back to dealing with the combination of Bam Adebayo and Davis, who were menaces on the defensive end.
Jack McVeigh saw his first minutes early in the second quarter as Daniels produced a great backdoor cut for the finish to score Australia’s opening bucket of the quarter.
If there was one highlight to come out of the quarter, it was the way Giddey was aggressively driving towards the rim and finding plenty of success, scoring on back-to-back possessions while also crashing the glass on the defensive end.
As much as Giddey is obviously a gifted passer, the 21-year-old’s driving ability is also one of his biggest strengths as the 6-foot-8 point guard developed an effective two-man game with Landale.
Will Magnay was solid. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)Source: AFP
Elsewhere, while McVeigh wasn’t the same outside shooting threat as he was in the warm-up games against China, he found other ways to get involved as he cut to the paint to cap off what was a 7-0 run for Australia.
Team USA still was up 39-30 at that point and quickly added to that buffer with a Steph Curry 3-pointer, going on to take a 53-37 lead into halftime.
Those early 3-pointers for Landale and Daniels were Australia’s only successful attempts of the half, with the Boomers otherwise going 2-for-11 while Team USA made eight of 19 shots from deep.
Australia did have the clear advantage in the paint (28-10) but had only nine bench points compared to 20 for Team USA, which is to be expected given the star-studded depth Steve Kerr has to work with.
Goorjian opened the third quarter by going back to the line-up that started the game as Daniels continued to be a shining light.
First, Giddey found a cutting Daniels for the first bucket of the period before the Atlanta Hawks guard came up with a steal on Davis to dunk it home on the other end.
Mills scored his first bucket of the game a few minutes into the quarter before fellow Boomers veteran Joe Ingles entered the action for the first time in a line-up that included Landale, Exum and Green.
Still, at that point Team USA still didn’t look threatened and led 67-45 before Australia went on a 10-0 run to wrestle back some momentum, with Magnay and Exum heavily involved.
Dyson Daniels made an impact on both ends. (Photo by Giuseppe CACACE / AFP)Source: AFP
A sloppy USA team made back-to-back turnovers which the Boomers turned into quick points as Exum first found Magnay in the paint with a pass before the big man dunked home an Exum miss soon after.
Magnay then outhustled Curry for a loose ball to score his third-straight bucket and cap off the run.
Australia was able to close the gap to 76-61 entering the final quarter and then got within 11 points of Team USA as Giddey scored six quick points, again relentlessly driving to the rim.
“If there are Chicago Bulls fans watching this game, they’ve got to be excited about Josh Giddey,” play-by-play commentator Jason Benetti said.
“He has been willing to put his body into Team USA all day.”
Dellavedova also saw his first minutes of the game in the opening stages of the fourth and operated as the primary ballhandler with Giddey off the court, making an immediate impact as he found Mills for a 3-pointer before forcing a steal that turned into a Daniels bucket.
Suddenly, the Boomers were in business with Team USA only leading 86-80 after missing its last seven shots, but a Tyrese Haliburton 3-pointer helped re-establish their cushion.
Australia then turned it over on the next possession after committing a shot clock violation before Haliburton knocked down another triple to put Team USA ahead 92-80 with just over two minutes left.
It looked like it was essentially game over at that point, although there were still a few final highlights — and reminders of what is to come — as Giddey first found Landale with a precision pass and then with a pinpoint inbounds pass.
Speaking of which, here are some quick hitters on what we learned from the loss to Team USA.
SOME QUICK TAKEAWAYS…
GIDDEY-LANDALE COMBINATION FIRES
The 3-point shots weren’t falling on Tuesday but if there was one consistent source of offence for the Boomers it was through the Giddey-Landale pick-and-roll.
Landale was the early standout and while Giddey only really started to heat up in the second quarter, it was noticeable when he did.
Simply, he looked more confident driving towards the rim instead of always looking for the pass first, although when it presented itself — especially in the form of Landale — Giddey found him.
Otherwise, Giddey was also looking comfortable looking for the finish himself and while it didn’t always come off it was good to see the 21-year-old leaning into that part of his game.
Landale’s absence was felt at last year’s World Cup but with the Boomers big man healthy and Giddey firing in his Olympic debut, Australia looks to have found a key part of its offensive identity.
PATTY MILLS DOES NOT
Obviously Australia’s poor 3-point shooting is not down to Mills alone but if the veteran guard is to have a significant role in Paris, he desperately needs to find his shot.
Mills made one 3-pointer late in the piece on Tuesday but otherwise struggled, going 1-for-5 from deep and 2-for-8 from the field to finish with five points and just as many turnovers.
What makes Mills’ performance particularly concerning though is the fact it isn’t a one-off. He wasn’t able to get into any sort of rhythm in the warm-up games against China too.
If the shots aren’t falling for Mills, it is hard to see him playing a significant role in Paris and instead it may end up making more sense for him to get limited minutes off the bench.
DYSON’S DEFENCE IMPRESSES
The young Atlanta Hawks guard was one of the bigger surprises to come out of Tuesday’s game.
We all know Daniels has the tools on defence to make an impact but he was also getting involved on the other end of the floor, making an early 3-pointer and cutting to the basket to finish the game with 14 points.
Now, Daniels’ ability to get stops (three steals) and spark transition buckets could once again pose the question as to why Matisse Thybulle was left out given he has similar strengths that would have been valuable to the Boomers in their Paris campaign.
But regardless, it was promising to see a more confident and composed Daniels impress in his first significant minutes under Goorjian, who was reluctant to play him at last year’s World Cup.
MAGNAY THE BACK-UP BIG?
That is what it looks like if you consider the fact it was Magnay and not Reath who replaced Landale when the Boomers’ starting big man got his first rest.
Now, that would not have been set in stone had Magnay not put in the performance he did, scoring eight points to go with three rebounds, two steals and a block.
That was just in 11 minutes too. The hustle and willingness to fight for every possession and take it to a physical USA team packing plenty of size was noticeable.
WHAT ROLE WILL INGLES AND DELLY HAVE?
For Ingles, it looks like Goorjian is definitely not compelled to guarantee the Boomers veteran much playing time unless the 36-year-old is absolutely needed, giving him just three minutes on Tuesday.
Dellavedova only saw four minutes but he made the most of his short stint in the fourth quarter, running the team with Giddey on the bench and adding a much-needed spark on both ends of the floor.
“Kawhi has been ramping up for the Olympics over the past several weeks and had a few strong practices in Las Vegas,” USA Basketball said in a statement.
“He felt ready to compete. However, he respects that USA Basketball and the Clippers determined it’s in his best interest to spend the remainder of the summer preparing for the upcoming season rather than participating in the Olympic Games in Paris.”
Things however became interesting when Leonard’s replacement was named with reports Boston Celtics guard Derrick White had earned the call up.
Derrick White got the call up. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)Source: Getty ImagesNo room for you Jaylen. Nick Cammett/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
The decision to go with White as the 12th man seemingly didn’t sit well with fellow Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown.
Brown is coming off his best season in the NBA where he won the Finals MVP after Boston defeated the Dallas Mavericks to win the title.
After news broke that White had been selected to replace Leonard, Brown took to social media where he posted three emojis looking through a monocle.
He followed that up a few hours later with a more direct message as he wrote: “@nike this is what we doing?”
Brown later deleted the post where he targeted Nike in the wake of his Olympics snub.
Jaylen Brown was seemingly not happy after being overlookedSource: Supplied
While Brown has every right to be upset after being overlooked, White has earned his place with his defensive abilities likely landing him the spot.
White is an elite defensive and two-way player who earned All-Defensive team honours for a second consecutive season.
His inclusion in the 12-man squad means the Celtics have three players heading to the Olympics with White, Jayson Tatum and Jrue Holiday.
Team USA are chasing a fifth straight Olympic gold medal, in a run of dominance that has seen them win seven out of the past eight Olympics.
They will line up in Group C at the Olympics where they’ll go up against Puerto Rico, South Sudan and Serbia.
Group B consists of Brazil, France, Germany and Japan while Group A has Australia, Canada, Greece and Spain.
Ahead of the Olympics taking place Team USA will lock horns with Australia in Abu Dhabi with the match to take place on July 16 (AEST).
A photo of the 12-man squad was shared to social media and it’s an image that should leave every other nation shaking in their Nikes.
With an outrageous talent pool to pick from, Team USA will head into the 2024 Olympics with a team that has achieved everything on offer in the NBA.
Led by LeBron James, the squad features a group that have a combined 8 MVP trophies, 2 Defensive Player of the Year awards, 84 All Star appearances and 15 NBA titles.
The 12-man roster consists of James, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, Jayson Tatum, Kawhi Leonard, Bam Adebayo, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Devin Booker and Jrue Holiday.
The group are set to cash in for the 2024/25 season with their combined contracts coming in at an outrageous $809 million (AUD).
To put the staggering wealth into context, the entire Australian Boomers squad will earn around $81 million.
Curry single-handedly will earn more next season with a whopping $82.4m contract for the Golden State Warriors.
Team USA are going to torch the OlympicsSource: SuppliedTeam USA in a practice session. (Photo by Ethan Miller/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Team USA are chasing a fifth straight Olympic gold medal, in a run of dominance that has seen them win seven out of the past eight Olympics.
They will line up in Group C at the Olympics where they’ll go up against Puerto Rico, South Sudan and Serbia.
Group B consists of Brazil, France, Germany and Japan while Group A has Australia, Canada, Greece and Spain.
With his free agency potentially looming, LeBron James is no longer married to the idea of playing with his son Bronny, his agent said on Thursday.
In February 2022, James said he “would do whatever it takes” to play with his eldest son, who entered the 2024 NBA Draft after one season at USC, but things have changed since, according to Klutch Sports’ Rich Paul.
“LeBron is off this idea of having to play with Bronny,” Paul told ESPN on Thursday.
“If he does, he does. But if he doesn’t, he doesn’t. There’s no deal made that it’s guaranteed that if the Lakers draft Bronny at 55, he [LeBron] will re-sign. If that was the case, I would force them to take him at 17. We don’t need leverage. The Lakers can draft Bronny and LeBron doesn’t re-sign.”
‘We share this s*** together!’ | 00:54
The Lakers enter the two-day draft with the No. 17 pick in the first round — generally thought to be a reach for Bronny — and No. 55 in the second.
The Ringer’s Bill Simmons mentioned on his podcast earlier this week that there had been “a lot of Phoenix buzz” surrounding the elder James, who can opt out of his Lakers deal before June 30 to enter free agency.
“[Klutch Sports] seem really confident that he is getting drafted in the first round,” Simmons said.
“And if you’re Mat Ishbia and the draft sucks, and it’s like let’s get Bronny, and they’re telling us that if we take Bronny, there’s a chance that we can get LeBron too, you have to think about it.
“I don’t know how many more years LeBron has left, it’s one it’s two, it’s three; whatever he was an All-NBA guy last year… you’ve gotta explore it”
However, Paul also clarified the position from their side.
“LeBron is also not going to Phoenix for a minimum deal,” the agent said. “We can squash that now.”
Since the Suns can’t pay him the $100-plus million contract the Lakers can, the only way it would work is via sign-and-trade, although the new collective bargaining agreement makes that extremely challenging.
Paul confirmed Phoenix’s interest in Bronny at 22nd overall but said they are not interested in such a move for James as the Suns are “severely limited in the type of contract they can offer”, describing the prospect of a minimum contract as “insulting” in an appearance on ESPN’s ‘NBA Today’.
Bronny had rejected workouts with multiple teams — only doing so for the Suns and Lakers — which Paul said was strategic as he tries to get his client to his preferred destination.
“This is nothing new,” Paul said.
“The goal is to find a team that values your guy and try to push him to get there. It’s important to understand the context and realise that this has always been the strategy with many of my clients throughout the years, especially those in need of development like Bronny. My stuff is by design.”
Buzzer beater puts Mavs on the brink | 00:38
That hasn’t stopped interest from other teams, Paul said.
“There are other teams that love Bronny. For example, Minnesota, Dallas, Toronto. If it’s not the Lakers, it will be someone else,” Paul explained.
“Minnesota would love to get Bronny in, but I don’t know who their owner is going to be. [Mavericks GM] Nico Harrison is like an uncle to Bronny. If the Lakers don’t take him at 55, Dallas would take him at 58 and give him a guaranteed deal. Masai [Ujiri, Raptors president,] loves him. They could take him without even seeing him at 31. Workouts aren’t everything for these teams.”
This article first appeared on The New York Postand was reproduced with permission.
The Detroit Pistons fired head coach Monty Williams after a losing NBA season that featured a 28-game losing streak and just 14 victories.
“Decisions like these are difficult to make, and I want to thank Monty for his hard work and dedication,” Pistons owner Tom Gores said in a statement.
“Coaching has many dynamic challenges that emerge during a season and Monty always handled those with grace. However, after reviewing our performance carefully and assessing our current position as an organisation, we will chart a new course moving forward.”
Watch selected NRL, AFL, SSN games plus every F1 qualifying session and race live in 4K on Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial today.
‘We share this s*** together!’ | 00:54
The Pistons’ 28-game mid-season skid was the longest single-season losing streak in NBA history.
They finished in last place in the Eastern Conference with a league-worst 14-68 record.
Williams, a former coach of the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, departs a year after inking a six-year contract worth a reported $78.5 million ($A118m) — the largest coaching deal in NBA history.
ESPN reported the Pistons would “absorb” the $65 million ($A98m) remaining on his contract.
Gores had brought Williams, the 2022 NBA Coach of the Year in Phoenix, to Detroit hoping he could revive a young roster sparked by Croatian forward Bojan Bogdanovic.
But in his first term the Pistons were even worse than their 17-65 record in 2022-23, after which Dwane Casey stepped down as coach.
“We are unwavering in our commitment to bring a championship-caliber team to Detroit,” Gores said, promising the team would be “diligent and swift” in their search for a new coach.
The Pistons have the fifth overall pick in next week’s NBA draft.
The Boston Celtics have secured a record 18th NBA title, winning the Finals series 4-1 over the Dallas Mavericks and star guard Jaylen Brown was named the Finals MVP.
“It was a full team effort,” Brown said as he accepted the Finals MVP trophy named for Celtics legend Bill Russell.
The 27-year-old averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists in five Finals games and delivered a strong defensive effort against Dallas star Luka Doncic, the regular-season scoring leader.
“I share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum — he was with me the whole way so we share this together,” Brown said.
Get on Board the NBA Finals | Dallas Mavericks v Boston Celtics | Every game of the NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
No.18! Boston crowned champs again! | 01:59
The Celtics claimed their first title since 2008. They had reached the finals in 2022 only to come up short against the Golden State Warriors and last season they agonizingly failed to get back to the championship series, falling to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.
On a mission this season, the Celtics won a league-leading 64 regular-season games.
They swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference finals — Brown earning MVP honors in that series, too.
Brown, in the first year of a mammoth five-year, $286 million contract extension with the Celtics, earned his third All-Star nod, but it was Tatum, not Brown, most often pointed to as the team’s top star.
Snubbed for All-NBA honors and by selectors for the US Olympic basketball team for Paris, Brown now has the honor he really craved — an NBA title — and the Finals MVP to go with it.
Brown, who was taken third overall in the 2016 draft, shared a long, heartfelt embrace with Tatum as the final moments of the 106-88 clinching victory ticked off.
Brown said he’d left doubts from previous playoff misses go this season. “I never hung my head,” he said.
Re-live the announcement of the 2024 Finals MVP in our blog below!
The Boston Celtics have the chance to win its first championship since 2008 as they taken on the Dallas Mavericks in Game 4 of the NBA Finals at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
The Celtics have dominated the series against the Mavericks and hold a 3-0 series lead and are one game away from a stunning sweep.
Get on Board the NBA Finals | Dallas Mavericks v Boston Celtics | Every game of the NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
They will also be bolstered by the inclusion of Kristaps Porzingis, who had missed Game 3 with injury but is available to play as Boston looks to wrap up the series and the title.
However, Dallas will have the backing of a home crowd as they look to take the series back to Boston for game five.
Should Boston go on to sweep the Mavericks, it would be the first series sweep in the NBA Finals since the Golden State Warriors beat the Cleveland Cavaliers 4-0 in the 2018 championship series.
Prior to that, a sweep had not occurred since the San Antonio Spurs accomplished the feat in 2007 when they beat the Cavaliers.
Tatum has been in fine form for the Celtics in the NBA Finals. (Photo by Peter Casey – Pool/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
The Celtics have been incredibly dominant in this year’s NBA Finals series as star duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown deliver on the big stage, scoring 31 and 30 points respectively in Boston’s 106-99 Game 3 win.
“Even now, up 3-0, nobody is celebrating or anything,” Tatum said on Friday.
“We still feel like there’s a lot more that we can do. There’s a lot more that we want to do.
“I think from our experiences over the past couple of years, the thing that we’ve really gotten a lot better at is not relaxing, not being complacent.”
Follow all the action from Game Four of the NBA Finals in our LIVE BLOG below! Can’t see the blog? Click here
The Boston Celtics went up 2-0 in the NBA Finals after defeating the Dallas Mavericks 105-98 in Game 2 at the TD Garden, although there could be one injury concern out of the win.
Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis, who was an absolute menace on both ends in Game 1 and had 12 points and two blocks on Monday, pulled up with a calf issue in the fourth quarter.
Porzingis had been sidelined for around a month with a right calf strain before returning for the Finals, where he hardly looked hampered as he led the way with an 11-point first quarter.
Get on Board the NBA Finals | Dallas Mavericks v Boston Celtics | Every game of the NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Porzingis again wasn’t showing any rust early on Monday but was struggling late in the game as he tried to run back in defence.
“This is a big deal,” Doris Burke noted in commentary as Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla called a timeout, subbing Porzingis out of the game as he was worked on by a trainer.
Crucially, the latest issue was with Porzingis’ left leg — not the right — and Mazzulla said post-game he had “zero” concern that his star big man would be unavailable for the next game.
Jrue Holiday dribbles the ball against Josh Green. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images/AFPSource: AFP
A first-quarter explosion from the returning Kristaps Porzingis has inspired the Boston Celtics to a dominant 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Porzingis, who had missed 10 playoff games with a calf injury and last played on April 29, showed no signs of rust as he scored 18 points in the opening quarter alone.
The Celtics big man only scored another two points in the game but set the tone early on both ends as Boston opened up a 37-20 first quarter lead — the largest in NBA Finals history.
All five of Boston’s starters finished in double figures, with Jaylen Brown scoring a team-high 22 points while also making a big impact on the defensive end with three blocks and just as many steals.
Get on Board the NBA Finals | Dallas Mavericks v Boston Celtics | Every game of the NBA Finals LIVE on ESPN, available via Kayo. New to Kayo? Start Your Free Trial Today >
Celtics sweep Pacers to reach NBA Finals | 01:17
Luka Doncic, meanwhile, had a game-high 30 points for Dallas to go with 10 rebounds but only had one assist as the Mavericks struggled to get anything from their bench.
Australian Josh Green was scoreless in 16 minutes before garbage time, when both teams cleared their benches as Dante Exum got a run for Dallas.
There wasn’t much separating the two teams early, with the Mavericks leading 13-12 after five minutes as the Celtics called the first timeout of the game.
Boston was able to generate plenty of open looks and also crashed the glass to create opportunities for second-chance points but couldn’t get the shots to fall consistently.
That changed as Porzingis, returning from injury off the bench, made an immediate impact on both ends to spark a stunning 25-7 Celtics run to close out the quarter.
Porzingis finished the quarter with 11 points, three rebounds and three blocks.
“He’s doing it all,” Mike Breen declared in commentary, as Porzingis drained one from deep and then blocked a Kyrie Irving shot on the other end that resulted in a Sam Houser 3-pointer.
Porzingis was also making life hard for Green in the first quarter, scoring over the Australian and then blocking a dunk attempt from him soon after.
It was a remarkable return for Porzingis and he didn’t show any signs of slowing down in the second quarter as the 7-footer hit back-to-back buckets to put Boston ahead 48-27 and force Dallas into a quick timeout.
Porzingis hardly looked like someone who hadn’t played in the NBA in over a month, confidently launching a shot from 30 feet over Doncic to put Boston ahead 63-37.
The Mavericks closed out the second quarter on a 5-0 run but the Celtics still had a 63-42 lead heading into halftime on the back of 18 points from Porzingis.
Boston shot 11 3-pointers in the opening half compared to just three for Dallas, who had Doncic on 17 points but not much else from the rest of its starters.
The Celtics looked comfortable until a fast start to the third quarter from Doncic on the offensive end and better application in defence from Dallas saw the Mavericks out-score Boston 22-8 to open the period.
That cut Boston’s lead to 72-64, with a nervous energy hanging over the previously raucous TD Garden crowd.
But a few turnovers from Dallas and hustle plays from Boston helped re-establish a comfortable buffer for the Eastern Conference champions.
The Celtics cruised to victory. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Source: Getty Images
Porzingis, for example, missed an open 3-pointer but then cut to the basket for his first points of the quarter after Jayson Tatum secured the offensive rebound.
Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, then blocked Derrick Jones Jr. on a dunk attempt before Tatum drained a 3-pointer soon after to push the lead out to 80-64.
The blocks kept coming from Brown and the 3-pointers kept coming too, with the Celtics putting out any chance of a Mavericks comeback to lead 86-66 entering the final quarter.
The Mavericks needed a fast start in the fourth to be any hope of a comeback but didn’t get it as active hands from Derrick White led to an easy bucket and had Boston ahead 92-71.
Dallas didn’t get any closer from that point, although the Mavericks can take some confidence from the fact the Celtics dropped home games in their series against Miami and Cleveland.
Re-live all the action in our live blog below! Can’t see it? Click here!
