Boston Celtics Dominate Mavericks to Claim 18th NBA Title
The Boston Celtics have secured their 18th NBA championship on Monday night with a commanding 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks in Game Five of the 2024 NBA Finals.
Excel Magazine International reports that this win marks their first title since 2008, putting them one championship ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in NBA history.
Boston’s victory was cemented by a strong first quarter, where they ended on a 9-0 run to establish a 10-point lead.
By halftime, the Celtics had extended their lead to 21 points, never allowing Dallas to close the gap to single digits in the second half.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
Jaylen Brown, who earned the Finals MVP, contributed 21 points. Jrue Holiday added 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Kristaps Porzingis made a notable return from injury to score five points in 17 minutes.
The Celtics finished the regular season with the NBA’s best record and maintained their dominance in the playoffs, winning 15 of their first 17 games and never trailing in any series.
Their 16-3 postseason record and an overall 80-21 season (.792 winning percentage) is the second-best in team history, only surpassed by the 1985-86 championship team.
Second-year coach Joe Mazzulla, at age 35, became the youngest coach since Bill Russell in 1969 to lead a team to an NBA title.
Despite a strong performance by Luka Doncic, who scored 28 points and grabbed 12 rebounds, the Mavericks were unable to extend the series.
Kyrie Irving added 15 points but struggled with his shooting, going 5-of-16 from the field. Dallas, which had been 3-0 in Game 5s this postseason, couldn’t overcome the Celtics’ early surge and sustained pressure.
The game’s momentum was firmly in Boston’s favor following a second-quarter surge and a buzzer-beater by Payton Pritchard that gave the Celtics a 67-46 halftime lead.
Boston’s defense and efficient ball movement were crucial in maintaining their lead throughout the game.
The championship also served as a tribute to Celtics legend Bill Russell, with his widow Jeannine Russell and daughter Karen Russell in attendance to celebrate the victory.
The foundations of this championship team were laid with the trades of 2008 champions Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce, which brought in the draft picks used to select Brown and Tatum in 2016 and 2017, respectively.
This season, the duo led a team characterized by a high volume of three-pointers and the league’s best defense.
After four previous deep playoff runs, this season saw Tatum and Brown hit their stride, combining for 31 points and 11 assists in the first half of Game Five alone.
Their leadership and performance were pivotal in overcoming past disappointments and achieving the ultimate goal.
