For the 18th time in franchise history, the Boston Celtics are NBA champions.
The Celtics closed the first quarter of Monday’s NBA Finals Game 5 on a 9-0 run and never looked back en route to a dominant 106-88 win over the Dallas Mavericks. The win secured a 4-1 win in the NBA Finals and the franchise’s first title since 2008.
The Celtics set the tone from the opening tip as they took the floor for the first time in these Finals wearing their classic green jerseys. They proceeded to put on a performance worthy of those colors. It was also worthy of a team that rolled to an NBA-best 64 games in the regular season and produced advanced metrics that rank among the best in league history.
They did it on Monday with defense. They did it with 3s. They did it with stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown leading the way. It was an optimal conclusion to seminal Celtics season.
Boston fired the first shot on Monday, opening a 9-2 run with their first three buckets scored by Jrue Holiday. Dallas punched back and closed the gap to 19-18 in the final two minutes of the quarter. But the 9-0 run to close the quarter pushed the Boston lead to 28-18.
The second quarter saw more of the same and ended with a buzzer-beating Payton Pritchard heave from beyond half court to extend the Boston lead to 21 points.
Dallas never recovered.
There was no Celtics letdown after halftime. Boston extended its lead to as much as 26 points in the third quarter and never let Dallas again sniff striking distance. The fourth quarter was a coronation.
For the Celtics, the championship alters legacies on multiple levels.
In the grand scheme, the Celtics reclaimed sole possession atop the list of all-time NBA champions, no longer tied with the bitter rival Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers had previously won eight titles against Boston’s one since 1986 including three unanswered since 2008 to tie the Celtics with 17 titles apiece. Boston stands alone once again with its 18th championship.
Tatum and Brown are now certified. The All-Star teammates were repeatedly questioned and criticized for coming up short on the biggest of stages in their previous six seasons as the shared faces of the franchise. They were flummoxed in two Eastern Conference finals by the Miami Heat and watched Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors celebrate a championship at TD Garden in 2022. Those questions linger no more.
Tatum and Brown now join a hallowed list featuring 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 championship glory.
President of basketball operations Brad Stevens took his unique basketball mind from the Celtics sideline to the front office in 2021. Never satisfied with coming up short, he continually tinkered with the roster and ultimately made championship-building moves including acquiring Al Horford, Holiday, Derrick White and Kristaps Porziņģis — decisions that coincided with difficult calls like parting with franchise favorite Marcus Smart and All-Star Kemba Walker.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla — promoted in 2022 amid the scandalous exit of Ime Udoka — drew fire throughout his first season leading the team that ended short of the NBA Finals. Now, he’s a champion.
For these Celtics, this championship isn’t viewed as an end, but a beginning. Tatum (26 years old) and Brown (27) are just reaching their prime and have their sights set on further cementing their names into Celtics franchise glory. But what a beginning this championship season was.
This is a developing story that will be updated.
Live61 updates
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MVP?
The MVP chants have been for both Brown and Tatum at the foul line tonight. A split vote, it seems.
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this entire celtics rotation is under contract for next season btw. gl.
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) June 18, 2024
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The Mavs have missed 13 of their last 14 shots. Just absolutely out of gas, out of spark, out of options and, barring something cosmic, in about nine minutes, out of time.
— Dan Devine (@YourManDevine) June 18, 2024
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Not sure I’ve ever seen a player who cannot perform well in a particular building, like this with Kyrie.
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Dallas has had its chances. 7-of-29 from 3. Many of them wide open. Doncic and Irving are 1-of-12 from 3.
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Celtics lead 86-67 after 3 quarters
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown have combined for 37 points for Boston, Kyrie Irving has 9 points on 3-of-12 shooting for Dallas as the Celtics lead 86-67.
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The Celtics only have 9 second-chance points, off 12 offensive rebounds. But the way this home crowd reacts to each board has sucked some life out of Dallas little by little.
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Luka Doncic now 1 for his 21 3-point attempts in the NBA Finals
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Just a brutal three games in Boston for Kyrie. He’s getting clean looks. Just can’t make them. 3-12 now from the floor. Irving and Doncic 1-11 from three-point range. 82-64, Boston.
— Chris Mannix (@SIChrisMannix) June 18, 2024
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Josh Green wants to extend this series! Dude is 4-of-4 from deep.
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Luka settling
Luka is just settling for jumpers. Whether it’s injury, fatigue or whatever, he has not even tried to get to the rim. Had Al Horford all alone at the top of the key and didn’t even consider trying anything other than his step-back, and he’s now 0-of-5 from three.
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Al Horford still strong
Al Horford is 17 years older than Dereck Lively II and just used every ounce of his old man strength to bully him under the basket and draw a foul. Strong start to the third quarter for Horford.
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Celtics hitting their 3s
That Al Horford 3 gets the Celtics up to 12-of-23 from distance. Seven members of Boston’s eight-man rotation have connected from deep. (Porzingis is the exception.) They are outscoring Dallas by 18 points from the arc.
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Tatum getting it done
Jayson Tatum’s first half: 16 points, four rebounds, nine assists, zero turnovers. But what’s been most impressive is the fact he’s seeming to exorcise his demons of not getting to the rim and finishing enough. All of his makes besides that step-back 3 at the end of the second quarter have come in the paint and at the rim.
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Celtics lead 67-46 at halftime
Payton Pritchard hits another half-court 3-point bomb as the second quarter expires to give the Celtics a 67-46 halftime lead.
