Kristaps Porzingis the second player in 50 years with NBA Finals feat

The Celtics were up 12-11 over the Mavericks in the first quarter when Kristaps Porzingis checked into Game 1 of the NBA Finals on Thursday.

What followed was an instant flurry from the Latvian — 11 points, three rebounds and two blocks — as the C’s closed out the quarter on a 25-9 run. They would never relinquish the lead again.

In his first game back from a calf strain, Porzingis demonstrated why so many analysts labeled him as the ultimate wild card entering the 2024 NBA Finals, the player who could make Boston nearly unbeatable. The sharpshooting big finished the game with 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks in just 21 minutes, becoming only the second player in the last 50 years to log such a stat line in an NBA Finals game.