BOSTON – Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic could not put a finger on why his partnership with Kristaps Porzingis did not work out.
“I don't know why it didn't work out,” Doncic said during the NBA Finals Media Day last Wednesday (Thursday Manila time). We were still both young. We tried to make it work, but it just didn't work. So [we] moved on.”
What did not work out in Dallas is clicking in Boston as the Celtics continued their dominant playoff run with a 107-89 rout of the Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals Thursday (Friday Manila time) at a packed and loud TD Garden.
Porzingis returned from a 10-game absence due to a calf strain to spark the Celtics off the bench. The 7-foot-2 Latvian center finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in 20 minutes, serving as the biggest difference-maker in the Finals opener.
“Tonight was an affirmation to myself that I'm pretty good, you know? Maybe I'm not perfect, but I'm pretty good and can play like this and I can definitely add to this team,” Porzingis said after his sensational return and NBA Finals debut.
Boston is now 13-2 in the playoffs, including 9-1 without Porzingis.
But his return made the Celtics more formidable.
Boston trailed Dallas 13-12 when Porzingis checked in to a loud ovation from the 19,156 screaming fans with 7:17 left in the first quarter.
The momentum quickly shifted from there.
“He just went on a run where he just hit the three, hit the middy, then ran back, got the block at the rim in transition,” Celtics forward Jaylen Brown said of Porzingis. “He was just making play after play and it was just like, all right, he's back, there was no question about it then.
By the end of the first quarter, the Celtics held a mighty 37-20 lead with Porzingis’ imprint all over it. He had 11 points on 4-of-5 shooting with three rebounds and two blocks in the opening quarter.
“I think obviously what helped me is just even from the walk out before the game and then getting on the court, getting that kind of support was unreal,” Porzingis said. “The adrenaline was pumping through my veins and that definitely helped.
Obviously, it wasn't ideal that I was out for such a long time, but I did everything I could to prepare mentally for this moment coming back and it paid off and we got the job done tonight and had a good game and happy about the result.”
Boston led by as many as 29 in the first half. And when Dallas tried to stage a comeback, Porzingis came in to stop it.
Doncic anchored a 20-9 run in the third quarter that saw the Mavericks cut the Celtics lead to 72-64.
Boston coach Joe Mazulla smartly called a timeout.
A Porzingis 3-pointer kicked off the Celtics’ 14-0 answer, putting the game away.
“I know the storyline has to be, what's he going to look like because he was off for a month, but that's what he's been doing his whole career,” Mazulla said of his prized center. “He's a great player. He's been great for us.
The reason why we are here is because of what he's done. It doesn't matter how long he takes off, the guy is going to make plays because of how talented he is and the work he puts in. What he did for us tonight was big and we need that for the rest of the series.”
Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in 57 games, all starts, in the regular season helping the Celtics clinch the league’s best record.
Coming off the bench just for the second time in his career, Porzingis said he had no qualms when Mazulla approached him as Al Horford remained in the starting lineup.
“From day one I came here and I said like ‘I'll do whatever it takes to help this team win, right?’ I think it was — this situation, you know, it made sense,” Porzingis said of his new role. “I didn't care. I didn't care. I knew I could prepare to come off the bench, which is something different for me, and that's what I did and stepped into that role and embraced it and had a good game.”
From succumbing to the pressure of his franchise savior tag in New York to getting the boot in Dallas as Doncic’s sidekick to enduring losing in Washington, Porzingis has really come a long way.
He has finally found a home in Boston.
Maybe it’s the Irish luck — Lucky the Leprechaun working his magic at Boston’s legendary parquet floor. It has been a long time coming for the player once dubbed as the “Unicorn” to finally soar and spread his wings on the biggest stage.
“Even when I checked in and things started going my way, I didn't even think about it,” Porzingis said. “I was so in the moment and enjoying the moment and the crowd and everything, you know.
It's kind of like a blur to me right now. I have to rewatch the game, what happened, and stuff, but I was completely just in the game. That's the best feeling. Like, I had the most fun and I hope to have more of those moments going forward.”
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Alder Almo is a former senior sportswriter for Philstar.com and NBA.com Philippines. He is now based in Jersey City, New Jersey, and writes for the New York-based website Heavy.com.