For the 18th time in franchise history, the Boston Celtics are NBA champions.
The Celtics finished the first quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday on a 9-0 run and never looked back en route to a dominant 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The win secured a 4-1 victory in the NBA Finals and the franchise’s first title since 2008.
The Celtics set the tone from the opening tip when they took the floor for the first time in these Finals wearing their classic green jerseys. They set out to deliver a performance worthy of those colors. He was also worthy of a team that had an NBA-best 64 regular-season wins and produced advanced metrics that rank among the best in league history.
They did just that on Monday with the defense. They did it with 3S. They did it with stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. It was the perfect conclusion to the Celtics’ season.
Boston fired the first shot on Monday, taking a 9-2 lead thanks to the first three buckets scored by Jrue Holiday. Dallas responded and cut the deficit to 19-18 in the final two minutes of the quarter. But a 9-0 run at the end of the quarter pushed Boston to 28-18.
The second quarter saw more of the same and ended with a powerful shot from Payton Pritchard from outside the half court to extend the gap with Boston to 21 points.
Dallas never recovered.
There was no disappointment for the Celtics after halftime. Boston extended its lead to as many as 26 points in the third quarter and didn’t let Dallas sniff the distance again. The fourth quarter was the icing on the cake.
Tatum was overcome with emotion, and Brown won the MVP award
After watching Brown, Holiday and Kristaps Porziņģis assume key roles throughout the Finals, Tatum took the reins on Monday night as both a scorer and playmaker. He led the game with 31 points and 11 assists, along with eight rebounds and two steals. He only turned the ball over twice.
When he finished, he buried his face in his hands as confetti fell from the rafters, overcome with emotion. He then celebrated with his son, Jason Jr.
Brown added 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists and two steals. For the series, he averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists, an effort that earned him Finals MVP honors. He can add the trophy to his collection along with his Eastern Conference Finals MVP hardware and silence the critics of his Supermax contract once and for all. His left hand.
Derrick White once again stepped up big on both sides of the floor with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and one block. He led the Celtics from long range with a 4-of-8 effort.
Holiday — now the missing piece completing championships for two different franchises — added 15 points, 11 rebounds and four assists.
As a team, the Celtics dominated the glass 51-35. They forced the Mavericks into 13 turnovers while only losing the ball seven times. Concluding a continuing theme throughout the series, Boston held a significant advantage at the free throw line with a 17-of-20 (85%) effort. Dallas struggled again while shooting 7-of-13 (53.8%).
The Celtics slowed from 3 after halftime on a 13-of-39 (33.3%) effort. But they had a 21-point advantage in the first half while shooting 10 of 21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.
The Mavericks stars are struggling again
The Mavericks, who salvaged a sweep in Game 4, appear to have left it all on the floor in Dallas. The Mavericks were outgunned in Monday night’s opener and didn’t provide much of a challenge to the overwhelming Celtics unit.
Luka Doncic led Dallas with 28 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. He made 3s (2 of 9) and continued to offer little resistance in defence. He turned the ball over seven times.
Former Celtic Kyrie Irving — who looked overwhelmed in Games 1 and 2 in Boston — struggled again Monday night on a 5-of-16 attempt from the floor as he was repeatedly booed by the home crowd. He finished the season with 15 points and nine assists.
What this title means for Celtic
For the Celtics, the championship changes legacies on multiple levels.
In the grand scheme, the Celtics regained sole possession of the NBA’s all-time champions roster, no longer tied to their arch-rival Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers have previously won eight titles to Boston’s one since 1986, including three unanswered titles since 2008 to tie the Celtics with 17 titles each. Boston stands alone again with its 18th championship.
Tatum and Brown are now certified. The All-Star teammates were frequently questioned and criticized for their failures on the biggest stages in their previous six seasons as the shared faces of the franchise. They were stumped in the Eastern Conference Final against the Miami Heat and watched Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors celebrate a championship at TD Garden in 2022. Those questions don’t exist anymore.
Tatum and Brown now join a hallowed roster that includes Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, Robert Parish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, JoJo White, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy and Bill Russell in leading a franchise synonymous with greatness to championships. Glory.
President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens took his unique basketball mind from the Celtics to the front office in 2021. Never satisfied with failure, he constantly tweaked the roster and eventually made championship-building moves including the acquisition of Al Horford , Holiday, White. And Porziņģis — decisions that coincided with tough calls like parting ways with franchise favorite Marcus Smart and All-Star Kemba Walker.
Head coach Joe Mazzola — who was promoted in 2022 amid the scandalous exit of Imi Udoka — drew criticism throughout his first season in charge of a team that finished before the NBA Finals. Now, he’s a champion in his second season as an NBA coach.
For these Celtics, this championship is not seen as the end, but rather the beginning. Tatum, 26, and Brown, 27, are just hitting their primes and have their sights set on cementing their names in Celtics franchise glory. But what a start this championship season has been.
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