Boston Celtics center Kristaps Porzingis returned with a vengeance on Thursday night as the Celtics jumped out to a big lead on the Dallas Mavericks early in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals. Porzingis' insane start to the 2024 Finals sparked insane reactions on X as fans watched on in amazement.

Porzingis' hot start came on a night when LeBron James shouted out a new NBA record setter. National Basketball Association commissioner Adam Silver revealed a touching tribute to Bill Walton prior to the action getting underway.

As the action unfolded on Thursday night, fans at the TD Garden arena found themselves on their feet as Porzingis announced his return to the NBA world.

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Porzingis led the Celtics heading into the locker rooms with 18 points and four rebounds as the Celtics took a commanding 63-42 halftime lead. Jaylen Brown had 13 points and 3 rebounds for the C's as Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks with 17 points.

Everyday fans and NBA legends alike chimed in with their thoughts on the insanity that had taken place.

Porzingis showed off insane range as he drilled a three-point from deep outside the long line in Boston.

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“Brody feeling it tonight,” one fan added. “I was really feeling it for him earlier.”

Porzingis' historic first-half performance

Porzingis did something that hadn't been done since the late 1970s.

Jaylen Brown and the Celtics knew they weren't out of the woods at halftime despite Porzingis' phenomenal first half performance. Doncic, Irving and the rest of the Mavs are a young, hungry team with plenty to prove and nothing to lose at this juncture.

Doncic almost kept pace with Porzingis bucket-for-bucket and the Mavericks' fans knew they had a potential shootout on their hands despite the Celtics' big first half lead.

Meanwhile, Kyrie Irving and the other relatively quiet Mavericks stars undoubtedly went back to the drawing board at halftime with the goal of coming up with a way to stop the bleeding at the TD Garden in Boston.