Boston vs Dallas Game 1: A Tale of Two Halves

The Celtics stole home-court advantage from the Mavericks on Tuesday night, winning Game 1 of the Western Conference Finals 118-110. It was a game of two halves, with Boston dominating the first and Dallas rallying in the second.

In the first half, the Celtics looked like the team that had won 13 of their last 14 games. They shot 53.8% from the field and 42.9% from three-point range, and they outrebounded the Mavericks 28-16. Jayson Tatum led the way with 21 points, while Jaylen Brown added 19 and Marcus Smart chipped in 17.
The Mavericks, meanwhile, looked like a team that had lost four of their last five games. They shot just 39.7% from the field and 28.6% from three-point range, and they were outrebounded by the Celtics 18-5 on the offensive glass. Luka Doncic led the way with 23 points, but he was just 9-of-24 from the field.
The Mavericks came out with a new intensity in the second half, and they quickly cut into the Celtics' lead. They held the Celtics to just 38.5% shooting in the third quarter, and they outrebounded them 15-7. Doncic continued to lead the way, scoring 15 points in the quarter.
The Celtics were able to weather the Mavericks' storm, and they eventually pulled away in the fourth quarter. They shot 50% from the field in the fourth quarter, and they hit 8 of their 11 three-point attempts. Tatum led the way with 10 points in the quarter, and Brown added 9.
The Celtics will now have a chance to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 on Thursday night. The Mavericks will need to find a way to slow down Tatum and Brown if they want to even the series.

Here are some highlights from the game:

Tatum's 21 points in the first half

Brown's 19 points in the first half

Smart's 17 points in the first half

Doncic's 23 points in the game

The Celtics' 13-of-25 shooting from three-point range

The Mavericks' 9-of-32 shooting from three-point range

The Celtics will now have a chance to take a 2-0 lead in the series when they host Game 2 on Thursday night. The Mavericks will need to find a way to slow down Tatum and Brown if they want to even the series.