Celtics Take First Game of NBA Finals Over Mavericks

Jayson Tatum leads the way with 32 points for Boston

Celtics take the 1-0 series lead

The Boston Celtics grabbed a 1-0 lead in the NBA Finals with a 119-110 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 on Sunday night in Dallas.

Jayson Tatum led the way for the Celtics with 32 points, while Luka Doncic finished with 30 for the Mavericks.

The Celtics came out firing in the first quarter, hitting 10 of their first 15 shots. They built a nine-point lead, but the Mavericks closed the quarter on a 10-2 run to pull within 30-29.

The Celtics stretched their lead to 13 in the second quarter, but the Mavericks again cut the deficit to three at the break, 60-57.

The Celtics came out of the break with a 10-0 run to take a 70-57 lead. The Mavericks never got closer than five points the rest of the way.

The Celtics were led by Tatum, but they also got strong contributions from Jaylen Brown (24 points), Marcus Smart (18 points), and Al Horford (15 points).

The Mavericks were led by Doncic, but they didn't get much help from their supporting cast. Spencer Dinwiddie was the only other Maverick in double figures with 21 points.

The Celtics will host the Mavericks in Game 2 of the series on Tuesday night.