2024 NBA Finals MVP Power Rankings: Jaylen Brown dominates Game 1

After a dominating performance in Game 1, the Celtics have the upperhand in the NBA Finals.

A 37-point first quarter and 29-point lead in the first half told the story of the Boston Celtics’ 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Although the Mavs came back and pulled within eight points in the third quarter, the Celtics showed everyone why they are heavily regarded as the favorites in this championship series. In regards to the NBA Finals MVP award and who cemented their status as the early favorite for the award, we should be looking no further than Jaylen Brown’s performance in Game 1.

All of the focus was on Jayson Tatum getting back to the NBA Finals and Kristaps Porzingis’ return from a calf injury, but it was Brown who proved to be the catalyst for the Celtics in this one. Brown finished the game with a team-high 22 points on 7-of-12 shooting and 2-of-6 from three-point range. He also had six rebounds, three steals, and three blocks. Defensively, Brown made his presence felt throughout the entire game.

Despite holding a 21-point lead entering the second half, the Celtics seemed to stagger slightly in the third quarter. Luka Doncic got the Mavericks rolling offensively, and Boston just couldn’t seem to buy a basket. A 22-9 run by the Mavericks over the span of roughly eight minutes to begin the second half cut the Celtics’ lead to only eight points, but then it was Brown who responded. The All-Star wing was aggressive when attacking the basket on offense, and he picked up three massive blocks to sway momentum in Boston’s favor.

It was at that point that the Celtics regained their confidence, especially defensively, to pull out a Game 1 victory.

“I think defensively I thought we were — we made some big-time plays,” Brown said in his postgame remarks. “When they cut it to eight, that’s when the game started. I liked how our team responded. We stayed composed. Offensively, we got to our spacing and was able to push that lead back out and make some plays on offense. That was a big third quarter.”

The Celtics looked poised and confident on offense in the first game of this series, shooting 47.6 percent from the floor and 38.1 percent from three-point range as a team. Boston knocked down 16 total threes, becoming the first team in NBA Finals history to have seven different players make at least two triples, according to Dick Lipe of NBC Sports.

Defensively, the Celtics held the Mavericks to only 89 points, their fewest in the playoffs thus far. Dallas shot just 41.7 percent from the floor and a dreaded 25.9 percent from three-point range. The Celtics outscored the Mavericks by 27 points from the perimeter.

This dominating Game 1 performance for the Celtics has put them at the forefront of the rankings for NBA Finals MVP.

5. Kyrie Irving – Dallas Mavericks

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Game 1 stats: 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals | Previously ranked: No. 4

In his return to Boston as public enemy No. 1, Kyrie Irving had arguably his worst performance of the playoffs. Aside from scoring just 12 points, Irving never seemed to get in a groove on either end of the floor. His three turnovers were unprecedented and came at the worst times possible. Perhaps the biggest takeaway from Game 1 is that Irving finished with just two assists, while Luka Doncic had only one assist. As a team, the Mavs had a total of nine assists, four of which came from their bench.

“It’s uncharacteristic for us to have only nine assists. The ball has got to move a little bit more,” Irving said in his postgame remarks. “And again, 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.”

Kyrie is going to be the X-factor for the Mavericks in this series. If he can get going and not only be a scorer, but a playmaker and facilitator as well, he will open up the floor tremendously for Dallas. The main reason why the Mavs have found so much success through their secondary guys in the playoffs is because of Doncic’s ability to open up shooting opportunities for PJ Washington, Derrick Jones Jr., and others from the perimeter.

With Doncic being taken out of the equation as a playmaker by the Celtics, Irving must be the one to step up. Big-time performances will elevate Irving’s chances of claiming the NBA Finals MVP award.

4. Kristaps Porzingis – Boston Celtics

Maddie Meyer/Pool Photo-USA TODAY Sports
Game 1 stats: 20 points, 6 rebounds, 3 blocks | Previously ranked: Unranked

Kristaps Porzingis had not played in nearly six weeks due to a calf injury, which is why he came off the bench in Game 1 for the Celtics. Nonetheless, Porzingis looked confident, and he didn’t seem to have any limitations in his game. In a total of 21 minutes, he scored 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting. All night, the Latvian big man caused mismatch problems for Jason Kidd and the Mavericks, as Dereck Lively II, Daniel Gafford, and Maxi Kleber all had trouble containing him.

“Yeah, I think obviously what helped me is just even from the walk out before the game and then getting on the court, getting that kind of support was unreal. The adrenaline was pumping through my veins and that definitely helped,” Porzingis told reporters after the game. “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.”

Whereas Irving is the difference in the Mavs finding success in this series, Porzingis is the X-factor for the Celtics. His ability to produce on both ends of the floor is extremely valuable, and he is virtually unguardable from Dallas’ defensive perspective. Do not be shocked if the Celtics once again turn to Porzingis off the bench in Game 2, which could lead to his rise in the NBA Finals MVP rankings.

3. Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Game 1 stats: 16 points, 11 rebounds, 5 assists | Previously ranked: No. 2

The narrative coming out of Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals once again pokes fun at Jayson Tatum due to his lack of scoring. The All-NBA First Team member scored just 16 points on 6-16 shooting, but he was able to impact the game in other ways. Tatum recorded his 12th double-double of the playoffs with 11 rebounds, plus he was tied with Jrue Holiday and Derrick White for a team-high five assists.

Defensively, Tatum held his own for the vast majority of Game 1, as he was responsible for numerous switches on the perimeter. Say what you want about his performance, but Tatum was certainly one of the better players on the floor in the opening game of the NBA Finals.

As far as contending for the NBA Finals MVP award, Tatum is going to have to put together a signature performance at a big moment, either when the Mavericks tie this series up, or if it potentially goes to seven games. At some point, Tatum is going to have a huge offensive exposition, especially if he continues to get open looks from the perimeter like he did in Game 1.

2. Luka Doncic – Dallas Mavericks

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Game 1 stats: 30 points, 10 rebounds, 2 steals | Previously ranked: No. 1

Doncic seemed to be the only player on the Mavericks who could score against the Celtics in Game 1, yet he still only shot 12-of-26 from the floor and 4-of-12 from deep. The Mavs star also recorded a game-high four turnovers and registered only one assist, his fewest in a game since January 26, 2023 when Doncic had zero assists in three minutes before exiting the game against the Phoenix Suns.

Although losing Game 1 is not the way the Mavericks wanted to start this series against the Celtics, Doncic remains confident in their abilities to bounce back. This was his message after the game, and Luka already appears to be focused on Game 2.

Throughout these playoffs, Doncic has been fantastic following a loss. In those five games, he has averaged 32.6 points, 7.0 assists, and 6.6 rebounds while shooting just shy of 53 percent from the floor. If there is anything we know about Game 2 in Boston, it is that Doncic will be ready to go.

1. Jaylen Brown – Boston Celtics

David Butler II-USA TODAY Sports
Game 1 stats: 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 steals, 3 blocks | Previously ranked: No. 3

This may have been one of Jaylen Brown’s best games with the Celtics, given the impact he made and the stage he currently finds himself on. So many wanted to scrutinize Brown and the Celtics for the five-year, $304 million supermax extension he signed in 2023. Well, winning the NBA Finals and claiming the Finals MVP award would surely silence any critics that still exist.

Brown is clearly the favorite for Finals MVP after Game 1, simply because his fingerprints were all over this victory for the Celtics. He was their leading scorer, he was not afraid to keep the ball in his hands in big moments, and Brown was sensational on the defensive side of the court.

Throughout his entire career in the playoffs, Brown has been a very up-and-down player who has dealt with some consistency issues. Other than one game that he struggled in against the Cleveland Cavaliers, Brown has been spectacular in the playoffs thus far. It was not a coincidence that he won the Eastern Conference Finals MVP over Tatum.

While 22 points may not seem like all that much for an All-Star, the Celtics needed every one of these 22 points from Brown to seize momentum at pivotal points against the Mavs in Game 1. His presence will once again need to be huge in Game 2 on Sunday if the Celtics are to take a 2-0 series lead.