The Boston Celtics are NBA champions once again. The Celtics claimed the NBA title on Monday night after beating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in deciding Game 5 of the NBA Finals.
After an uncharacteristic loss in Game 4, the Celtics came out to play in Game 5. They ended the first quarter with a 10-point lead and were up by 21 by the time the second half ended. In the remaining two quarters, the Celtics went on cruise control but never allowed the Mavs to embark on a run that would bring them back into the game.
Jayson Tatum led all players in scoring, finishing the game with 31 points while adding eight rebounds and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown had 21 points to go with eight rebounds and six assists, while Jrue Holiday had 15 points, 11 rebounds, and four assists.
Despite Tatum’s big night, it was Brown who ended up taking home the NBA Finals MVP honors and trophy named after Celtics’ legend Bill Russel.
“I can’t even put into words the emotions,” Brown said after receiving the award. “It’s just I’m blessed, and I’m grateful. This was a full team effort. We had a great team. My teammates were great. They allowed me to lead us on both ends of the ball, and we just came out and performed on our home floor. It’s just amazing.”
This was the first NBA championship for the Celtics since the 2007-08 season and their 18th in the history of the franchise. The Celtics now have the most NBA titles in the league history, breaking the tie with the Los Angeles Lakers.
