BOSTON — While all signs pointed to Kristaps Porzingis making his return for Game 1 of the NBA Finals, there was still some curiosity when it came to the big man’s potential impact. Porzingis himself sounded unsure during the process, saying they would have to see when it came to his play after sitting more than a month. But Porzingis looked like his best self from the moment he touched the court Thursday at TD Garden.
He scored 11 of his 20 points in the first quarter alone as he was seemingly everywhere. If he wasn’t knocking down a jumper then he was altering a shot on the other end. Porzingis finished with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in his 21 minutes, shooting 8-for-13 from the field.
And in an interesting twist, C’s coach Joe Mazzulla elected to roll with Porzingis off the bench instead of his usual starting role. That was a slight surprise as Al Horford once again got the start. But clearly, the move helped unlock Porzingis as he was all about the strategic decision.
Porzingis’ fast start helped the Celtics to the 107-89 win over the Mavericks to take the 1-0 series lead. “We had a conversation and just came up to me,” Porzingis said. “I know he knew I was going to be fine with whatever.
So he just told me, ‘what do you think, like about this,’ and I said, ‘Of course, like, let’s do it.’ And that’s it. Wasn’t no big deal and I trust Joe and he trusts me.
” Before Thursday’s victory, Porzingis had come off the bench just one.
