The Boston Celtics fans couldn't contain their excitement as Kristaps Porzingis made a triumphant return to the rotation for Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Having been sidelined due to a right calf injury, Porzingis returned with a bang, helping the Celtics secure a decisive 107-89 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Porzingis wasted no time in making his presence felt. In the first half alone, he scored 18 points on 7-for-9 shooting, grabbed three rebounds, and blocked two shots. Not to be outdone by himself, he finished the game with a total of 20 points, six rebounds, and three blocks in just 21 minutes. You read that right—21 minutes. That's roughly the time it takes your delivery driver to find your apartment and still get lost.

The Celtics' head coach, Joe Mazzulla, couldn't sing enough praises for Porzingis, highlighting his contributions throughout the season in defense, offense, and communication. "He's been like our Swiss Army knife," said Mazzulla. "You know, if a Swiss Army knife could also dunk on a 7-footer and block a shot into the bleachers” (source).

Porzingis' stellar performance had more than just the Celtics' bench lauding him. Before Game 1, his odds of being the NBA Finals MVP stood at +5000—a number that practically screamed, "Thanks for your donation!" However, after his heroics in Game 1, those odds had jumped to +650. Whether it's enough to solidify his name in MVP discussions remains to be seen, but it's certainly a leap in the right direction.

But while Porzingis was making headlines, the odds boards were doing some shuffling of their own. The Boston Celtics are now favored to win the NBA Finals with -450 odds, compared to Dallas' +340 odds. Jayson Tatum continues to be the favorite for the NBA Finals MVP with +115 odds, closely followed by Jaylen Brown at +200.

In contrast, the Mavericks' star, Luka Doncic, saw his MVP dreams take a bit of a hit. His odds slid from +200 to +350 after Game 1, making it almost as if Vegas collectively shrugged and said, "Better luck next time, kid" (source).

While the numbers and statistics speak volumes, the real narrative for Celtics fans is this: their beloved Kristaps Porzingis is back, and he's better than ever. So much so that some are humorously advocating that the MVP award be renamed in his honor should he continue on this trajectory. "The Porzingis Trophy" has a nice ring to it, doesn’t it? Hey, if you can make a comeback this grand, the least you deserve is a shiny piece of hardware named after you.

Whether this petition gains any serious traction is as uncertain as the next game’s result, but one thing's for sure: Porzingis and Celtics fans can dream big. With each game in the Finals, that dream inches closer to reality.

Now, let’s wait and see if Porzingis can keep up his heroics, and if the Celtics can bring home the championship. The parade route may just need an extra float for that MVP trophy – no, The Porzingis Trophy (source).