For the 18th time in franchise history, the Boston Celtics are NBA Champions.
The Celtics went on a 9-0 run in the first quarter of Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday and never looked back en route to a dominant 106-88 victory over the Dallas Mavericks. The victory sealed a 4-1 victory in the NBA Finals and secured the franchise’s first title since 2008.
Wearing their classic green uniforms for the first time in this final, the Celtics set the tone from the opening tip. They put on a performance worthy of those colours. That’s fitting for a team that had an NBA-best 64 wins in the regular season and produced the best ranked improvement in league history.
They did it safely on Monday. They did it with 3 seconds. They did it with stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. It was a fitting end to a seminal Celtic season.
Boston struck first on Monday, opening a 9-2 lead with three buckets by Jrue Holiday. Dallas struck back in the final two minutes of the quarter to close the gap to 19-18. But a 9-0 run at the end of the quarter pushed Boston’s lead to 28-18.
The second quarter saw more of the same and Payton Pritchard hit a heave from beyond half court to extend Boston’s lead to 21 points.
Dallas never recovered.
There was no Celtics letdown after the break. Boston extended its lead to 26 points in the third quarter and never let Dallas sniff distance to strike again. Fourth Quarter Coronation.
Tatum won with emotion, Brown won the MVP
After watching Brown, Holiday and Kristaps Porcisis take on key roles throughout the Finals, Tatum took the reigns as a scorer and playmaker on Monday night. He led the game with 31 points and 11 assists to go along with eight rebounds and two steals. He only turned the ball over twice.
When it was over, overcome with emotion, he buried his face in his hands as confetti fell from the rafters. She later celebrated with her 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 forever silence the critics of his supermax contract. His left hand.
Derrick White again came up big on both ends of the floor with 14 points, eight rebounds, two steals and a block. He paced the Celtics on 4-of-8 attempts from long range.
Holiday — the missing piece who has now completed championship runs for two different franchises — added 15 points, a team-high 11 rebounds and four assists.
As a team, the Celtics dominated the glass 51-35 on the other end. They forced 13 Mavericks turnovers while giving up the ball just seven times. Finishing a running theme throughout the series, Boston had a significant edge at the free throw line with 17-of-20 (85%) attempts. Dallas battled back while shooting 7-of-13 (53.8%).
The Celtics slowed from the 3 after halftime on 13-of-39 (33.3%) overall attempts. But they built their 21-point halftime edge while shooting 10-of-21 (47.6%) from beyond the arc.
Mavericks stars fight back
A Mavericks team that held off a sweep in Game 4 left everything on the floor in Dallas. The Mavericks were outplayed from the opening tip on Monday night and offered little challenge to a formidable Celtics unit.
Luka Doncic led Dallas with 28 points, 12 rebounds, five assists and three steals. He struggled from 3 (2 of 9) and held little opposition on defense. He turned the ball over seven times.
Former Celtic Kyrie Irving — who featured heavily in Games 1 and 2 in Boston — battled back Monday night on 5-of-16 attempts from the floor as he was repeatedly booed by the home crowd. He finished with 15 points and nine assists.
What this title means for the Celtics
For the Celtics, a championship changes traditions on several levels.
In the grand scheme of things, the Celtics regained sole possession of the list of all-time NBA champions. The Lakers had previously won eight titles against Boston since 1986, including three unanswered since 2008, tied by the Celtics with 17 titles. Boston stands out again with its 18th championship.
Tatum and Brown are now certified. The All-Star team was repeatedly questioned and criticized for being the shared faces of the franchise on the biggest stages in their previous six seasons. They were flummoxed in two Eastern Conference Finals by the Miami Heat and Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors celebrated a championship at TD Garden in 2022. Those questions no longer linger.
Tatum and Brown now join a hallowed list that includes Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Larry Bird, Robert Parrish, Kevin McHale, Dennis Johnson, JoJo White, Dave Cowens, John Havlicek, Bob Cousy and Phil Russell. the glory
President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens took his unique basketball mind from the Celtics sideline to the front office in 2021. Not content with coming up short, he continued to tinker with the roster and eventually made championship-making moves, including the acquisitions of Al Horford, Holiday, and more. White and Porsche — decisions that coincided with tough calls like parting ways with franchise favorites Marcus Smart and All-Star Kemba Walker.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla — amid the scandal-plagued exit of Ime Udoka, who was promoted in 2022 — drew fire throughout his first season that ended just short of the NBA Finals. Now, he’s a champion in his second season as an NBA head coach.
For these Celtics, this championship is not seen as an end, but as a beginning. Tatum (age 26) and Brown (27) are reaching their prime and have their sights set on further cementing their names in the glory of the Celtics franchise. But what a start this championship season has been.
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