Celtics Defeat Mavs in 5 to Win18th Championship

The two big stars for the Boston Celtics showed up in the finale in a big way. Jayson Tatum had 31 points, 8 boards, and 11 assists and Jaylen Brown chipped in 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Brown took home the NBA Finals MVP as the Celtics blew out Dallas 106-88 to win the 2024 NBA Finals. The Celtics were my favorite to win, but my thinking was this series would go seven games. Boston winning their 18^th championship breaks the tie with the Lakers for the most in NBA history. This comes on the 16^th anniversary of Boston winning their 17^th championship in the same building. That was famous for Kevin Garnett screaming out anything is possible after finally winning the elusive title. In Game 4, Boston played their worst game of the series by getting blown out by Dallas.

In Game 5, the Celtics built a 21-point lead at halftime, and they never looked back. The crowd erupted when Porzingis checked in midway through the first quarter. Porzingis only played 16 minutes and scored 5 points, but it was key to give Al Horford some rest. Just like in the Eastern Conference, Brown walked away with the Finals MVP averaging 21 points, 5 boards and 5 assists. Brown was effective on defense as he constantly guarded Luka and forced him to make bad decisions. With the win, the Celtics finished the playoffs 16-3, second only to the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors (16-1). The league went to four best-of-seven rounds in 2003.

What’s Next for Boston?

The core group of players are all young and signed for the foreseeable future. Tatum is expected to sign an extension soon after Brown signed his historic contract last year. Jrue Holiday agreed to an extension this season. Porzingis will need to get healthy during the offseason and could Al Horford finally retire after winning his first title? Derrick White will be one to watch over the summer. White will seek a contract extension over the summer seeing he’s a key part of this team. Boston is geared to make another run next season and years after that one. People will bring up the injuries in the Eastern Conference this postseason, but the Celtics were the best team all season. I’ll expect the Celtics to be favored in the Eastern Conference next season.

What’s Next for Dallas?

Dallas wasn’t expected to make it this far this season. They were the 5^th seed in the Western Conference playoffs but made the NBA Finals. Dallas will be in the market to add a third scorer to this team. There will be a lot of options for Dallas to add a third scorer. Luka will need to control his emotions on the floor and quit arguing with the officials. Doncic is arguably the best player in the league right now. Luka will learn the adjustments he’ll need to make in the future. Kyrie must be the player we all know he is , especially if they want to get back in the competitive West.