Boston crushed Dallas Mavericks 106-88 at TD Garden Arena on Monday to bring home the 2024 NBA championship in five games. Boston won its 18th title, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.
The Celtics were led by Jayson Tatum, who had 31 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists. Jaylen Brown had 21 points and 8 rebounds, earning him the NBA Finals MVP award. Before presenting Brown with the trophy named in his honor, NBA commissioner Adam Silver said, “Bill Russell would be so proud,” referring to the late Celtics great.
Luka Doncic drove the Mav’s in disgrace with 28 places and 12 bounce back.
“We knew we needed each other,” Tatum said of his teammates after the win. “It’s a team sport, and we went through the ups and downs. We deserved this. We earned this.”
One of the best offenses in NBA history helped Boston win the Larry O’Brien Trophy. With a 122.2 offensive rating, the Celtics had the best regular-season record in the NBA, finishing 64-18. They were second in focuses per game (120.6) and bounce back per game (46.3), and they hit the most 3-pointers per game (16.5) of any group. Tatum was named first group All-NBA after he set up 26.9 focuses, 8.1 bounce back and 4.9 helps a game this season. He was complemented by Jaylen Brown, who averaged 23 points and 5.5 rebounds.
The defense of Boston wasn’t bad either. This season, the Celtics led the NBA in blocked shots with 6.6 per game and had the second-highest 110.6 rating in the NBA. It is Boston’s most memorable title starting around 2008, when it beat the Lakers in six games. Al Horford, the Celtics’ big man, appeared in 186 postseason games before winning a championship, which is the most in NBA history. He said that the wait was worth it after winning.
“It’s been long. A lot of hard work, but I’m so proud to be part of this team,” he said. “I can’t believe it. I still can’t believe it. But we did it. We’re here.”
Source : NBC News
