In a historic victory, the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 to secure their 18th NBA championship, surpassing their long-time rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers, for the most titles in NBA history. The Celtics’ commanding performance at the TD Garden cemented their place as one of the greatest teams in the league.
Youngest head coach Joe Mazzulla’s words
Head coach Joe Mazzulla, who at 35 is one of the youngest coaches to win an NBA championship, praised his team’s determination and resilience. “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,” he declared during the trophy presentation.
Contrary to expectations of a tight series, the Celtics dominated, wrapping up the finals in just five games. They led by 21 points at halftime in the decisive Game 5 and never trailed, demonstrating their superiority throughout the series. The Celtics’ entire playoff run was marked by dominance, losing only three games on their way to the title.
Jayson Tatum’s reflection of the season
Celtics forward Jayson Tatum, who played a crucial role throughout the season, reflected on the team’s journey. “We’ve responded all year and this was no different,” Tatum said. “We owed our fans, it’s been a long journey.” Tatum’s exceptional performance on Monday included 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds, further solidifying his status as one of the league’s top players.
Jaylen Brown, who scored 21 points in Game 5, was named Finals MVP. “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,” Brown said, embracing Tatum during the celebration.
The Mavericks struggled to keep up with the Celtics’ pace. Star player Luka Dončić finished with 28 points and 12 rebounds but had a difficult night defensively and committed seven turnovers. “I’m proud of every guy that stepped on the floor, all the coaches, all the people behind [the scenes],” Dončić said. “Obviously, we didn’t win the finals, but we did have a hell of a season.”
Kyrie Irving, gracious in defeat
Kyrie Irving, facing his former team, managed just 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting. Irving, who has had a turbulent history with the Celtics, acknowledged their victory graciously. “We finally ran into a team that beat us fair and square,” he said. “We weren’t able to respond to a lot of their runs. When I was shaking [Celtics players’ hands at the end of the game] that was a sign of respect for their journey.”
Mavericks coach Jason Kidd remained positive despite the defeat. “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, or we turned the ball over and they took full advantage,” Kidd remarked. “There’s lots of positives in this run.”
For the Celtics, the championship marks the end of a series of near misses. After losing in the NBA finals two years ago and falling short in the conference finals multiple times in recent years, this victory is particularly sweet. Tatum, addressing critics who doubted the team’s potential, said, “What they gonna say now?”
With an impressive season record of 80 wins out of 101 games, the Celtics have indeed had the final word. Their dominance throughout the playoffs and the finals has reasserted their position at the pinnacle of the NBA.