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• Brown lauds returning Porzingis after 'monster' Game 1 against Mavs

  Jaylen Brown hailed Kristaps Porzingis after the Boston Celtics power forward returned from injury with a "monster game" against the Dallas Mavericks.

  Porzingis, who has been absent for five weeks with a calf strain, played a starring role from the bench against his former side, as the Celtics drew first blood in the NBA Finals with a 107-89 win in Game 1.

  Having not played since Game 4 in the first round against the Miami Heat, the Latvian marked his return with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks at TD Garden.

  And Brown, who top-scored for the Celtics with 22 points, paid tribute to his team-mate.

  "Kristaps had a monster game for us," he said. "Just his presence shooting the ball and then him being able to attack those switches and mismatches, he made them pay every time, and that's what we need going forward in the series."

  Porzingis was understandably thrilled to make up for lost time with his inspired display for top seeds Boston, who are targeting a record-breaking 18th NBA title this year.

  "The adrenaline was just pumping through my veins," he said. "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.

  "Tonight was an affirmation to myself that I'm pretty good, you know? Maybe I'm not perfect, but I'm pretty good and I can play like this and I can definitely add to this team."

• Washington urges Mavs to 'stay connected' after losing NBA Finals opener

  P.J. Washington urged the Dallas Mavericks to "stay connected and together" following defeat to the Boston Celtics in their NBA Finals opener. 

  The Mavs' first championship series since they were crowned champions in 2011 began with a 107-89 loss against the top seeds of this postseason at TD Garden.

  It was Dallas' lowest scoring total during the playoffs, while their tally of just nine assists was the fewest in any match this term as they struggled against a strong Boston defense.

  "We just have to stay connected [and] stay together," said P.J. Washington. "We are a great team. They are a great team at the end of the day. We're all right. It's only one game. We'll be better for Game 2."

  "The ball has got to move a little bit more," added Kyrie Irving, whose 31.6 per cent shooting from the floor was his lowest in 14 career Finals games.

  "That starts with me just being able to push the pace, get us some easy opportunities, and just adjust to what they are throwing at us.

  "It's a fun series. It was fun going into the game. It's still going to be fun. But there's going to be a level of chess that still has to be played."

  Mavs coach Jason Kidd also issued a rallying cry to his players, who he insisted must not be held back by the occasion.

  "Give the Celtics credit," he said. "They did a great job defending, making it tough on us.

  "I think this is the best team in the NBA, and they are good for a reason. They play their style of basketball at a high rate. Nerves or not being in this situation, we can't use that as an excuse. It's just basketball."

• NBA: Balanced Celtics roll past Mavs in NBA Finals opener

  Jaylen Brown led six players in double figures with 22 points and Kristaps Porziņģis had 20 in his first game in over a month as the Boston Celtics pulled away for a 107-89 win over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday night.

  Jayson Tatum had 16 points and 11 rebounds and Derick White scored 15 for the Celtics, who improved to 13-2 in the playoffs with their eighth straight win as they seek their 18th NBA title.

  Game 2 is Sunday night in Boston.

  Porzingis came off the bench and provided an immediate spark in his first game since April 29 due to a strained right calf. He had six rebounds and three blocks in 21 minutes.

  Luka Dončić had 30 points and 10 rebounds, but former Celtic Kyrie Irving managed just 12 points on 6-of-19 shooting and missed all five of his 3-point attempts.

  Dallas totalled just nine assists on 35 field goals and its scoring total was its lowest of the postseason.

  Boston started fast and led by 29 in the first half before Dallas opened the third quarter on a 22-9 run to pull within 72-64 on Doncic’s 3-pointer.

  The Celtics responded with the next 14 points, capped by 3s from Tatum, Al Horford and Brown for an 86-64 advantage.