Dallas Mavericks v Boston Celtics: NBA finals Game 1 – live

Key events

Show key events only

Please turn on JavaScript to use this feature

Preamble

Hello and welcome to Game 1 of the NBA finals between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. After a 10-day layoff since Boston’s clean sweep of Indiana and a full week since Dallas finished off Minnesota, we’re ready at last for some basketball to decide this year’s NBA championships.

The Celtics went 2-0 against the Mavericks during the regular season. Boston won the most recent matchup 138-110 on 2 March behind 32 points from Jayson Tatum, while Luka Dončić scored 37 points for Dallas. They also won 119-110 on the Mavericks’ court on 22 January.

This is Boston’s 23rd trip to the finals. Dallas has made it twice before, first in 2006 and again in 2011 when they scored an upset of the first edition of Miami’s superteam featuring LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

The Celtics have gone 37-4 at home. Boston is the NBA leader with 35.6 defensive rebounds per game led by Tatum averaging 7.2.

The Mavericks have gone 25-16 away from home. Dallas ranks ninth in the Western Conference shooting 36.9% from 3-point range.

The 120.6 points per game the Celtics average are 5.0 more points than the Mavericks allow (115.6). The Mavericks are shooting 48.1% from the field, 2.8% higher than the 45.3% the Celtics’ opponents have shot this season.

TOP PERFORMERS: Tatum is shooting 47.1% and averaging 26.9 points for the Celtics. Derrick White is averaging 3.2 made 3-pointers over the last 10 games.

Daniel Gafford is scoring 11.0 points per game and averaging 7.6 rebounds for the Mavericks. Doncic is averaging 29.1 points and 10.5 rebounds over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Celtics: 9-1, averaging 113.8 points, 44.0 rebounds, 24.0 assists, 6.4 steals and 5.2 blocks per game while shooting 48.9% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.1 points per game.

Mavericks: 8-2, averaging 109.8 points, 43.9 rebounds, 23.5 assists, 6.1 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 48.3% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 104.7 points.

INJURIES: Celtics: None listed.

Mavericks: Olivier-Maxence Prosper: out (ankle).

Tip-off is about 40 minutes away. More to come between now and then.

Bryan will be here shortly. In the meantime here’s a look at how the Guardian’s writers see the NBA finals playing out.