3 Duds, 2 studs from Mavericks' brutal Game 1 loss to Celtics

The Dallas Mavericks began their journey to an NBA Championship on Thursday night in Boston. The team seemed poised and prepared to take on the Boston Celtics, as they clinched the Western Conference Championship with a 4-1 series win over the Minnesota Timberwolves.

Dallas' journey, however, took a tough turn when they fell to the Boston Celtics 107-89. The team struggled to get things going from the beginning, as they were down by 17 in the first quarter. Boston extended the lead to 29 points in the second quarter.

The Mavericks went on a 22-5 run in the third quarter to cut the lead to eight points. Boston would respond though with a 14-0 run of their own. The Celtics would take over from there, as the Celtics led by 20 to end the quarter.

3 Duds, 2 studs from Mavericks' brutal Game 1 loss to Celtics

Former Maverick Kristaps Porzingis torched his former team. The 7-foot-2 big finished the game with 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks. He had 18 points at the end of the first half.

So besides Porzingis, what went wrong for the Mavs?

For starters, the team struggled from behind the 3-point line. The Mavs shot 25.9 percent from long range, knocking just seven 3-pointers the entire game.

Dallas also struggled to share the ball. The team finished the game with nine assists. This unusual from their previous series, where they had 15 assists in their Game 5 victory against Minnesota.

Here are three duds and two studs from the Dallas Mavericks' brutal Game 1 loss to the Boston Celtics.

5. Dud - Josh Green

Dallas Mavericks guard Josh Green was a critical part of the team's success against the Minnesota Timberwolves. His defense stole the show, as he recorded two steals in their Game 5 victory.

Green's defense has been vital in the team's playoff run. He plays hard-nosed defense and isn't afraid to use his hands to make things difficult for the opposition. Offensively, he will knock down a corner 3-pointer every so often. However, don't expect him to score a ton of points, as he averages 4.8 points per game in the playoffs.

Green's production though was non-existent against Boston. He recorded three points and three rebounds in 20 minutes. Otherwise, he struggled on both ends of the court.

The Mavs' forward shot 1-4 from the field, as his only points came with a minute left in the game. He knocked down a 3-pointer with 58.2 seconds left in garbage time.

His defense was also non-existent. Boston did an excellent job using the pick-and-roll game to force Green on Porzingis. This was a horrible mismatch, as the Celtics' big man used the switch to his advantage.

The Mavs will need Green to step up in Game 2 if they hope to have a fighting chance against the Celtics.