The 2024 NBA Finals tipped off with a dominant Game 1 win by the Boston Celtics over the Dallas Mavericks.
The series couldn't have started any better for the Celtics, who used a 23-5 run over the final six minutes of the first quarter to build a comfortable lead. Boston's defense continued to give Dallas fits throughout the half, limiting the Western Conference champion to 42 points, its second lowest first-half point total of the 2024 playoffs.
The 21-point lead the Celtics enjoyed at halftime started to evaporate in the third quarter as Luka Doncic and Co.