The Boston Celtics secured their record-breaking 18th NBA championship by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night, surpassing the Los Angeles Lakers for the most titles. Coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s effort, saying, “You have very few chances in life to be great … you’ve got to take the bull by the horns and you’ve got to own it, and our guys owned it.”
The Celtics wrapped up the series 4-1 with a dominant performance on their home court. Jayson Tatum led the way with 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, continuing his stellar season after being named to the All-NBA first team for the third time. Jaylen Brown, who scored 21 points, was named the finals MVP and acknowledged the team effort, saying, “It was a full team effort and I’m going to share this with my brothers and my partner in crime Jayson Tatum, he was with me the whole way.”
The Mavericks struggled throughout Game 5, with Luka Dončić scoring 28 points and grabbing 12 rebounds but committing seven turnovers and missing his first six three-point attempts. Kyrie Irving, facing his former team, had a tough night, scoring only 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Despite the loss, Dončić remained positive about the season, saying, “Obviously, we didn’t win the finals, but we did have a hell of a season and I’m proud of every one of them.”
Coach Jason Kidd of the Mavericks praised his team’s efforts throughout the season, acknowledging the challenge posed by the Celtics. “Yes, we lost [the finals] 4-1 but they fought against the Celtics and unfortunately we just couldn’t make the shots that we had to,” said Kidd. Irving also recognized the Celtics’ strength, stating, “We finally ran into a team that beat us fair and square.”
This victory marks a significant achievement for the Celtics, ending a series of near misses, including a loss in the NBA finals two years ago and multiple conference finals defeats over the past eight seasons. Jayson Tatum summed up the triumph, challenging critics with, “What they gonna say now?” The Celtics’ remarkable season, winning 80 of their 101 games, ended on a high note, solidifying their place in NBA history.
