By Leobert Julian A. de la Peña
What a dominant way to end a fantastic NBA season.
After dropping only two playoff games before reaching the 2023-2024 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics quickly became the heavy favorites to win it all and end their 16-year championship drought.
Despite heavy criticism throughout their playoff run, the Celtics showed why they are the best team in the league by pulling off a lopsided Game 5 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, 106-88, to secure the NBA championship with a 4-1 series win on June 18, 2024.
With this victory, the Celtics entered the NBA history books as the franchise with the most championships, winning their 18th title and breaking their 17-all tie with the Los Angeles Lakers.
It was a sigh of relief for Boston fans after the team overcame a crushing Game 4 defeat by the Mavericks, 122-84, which helped them avoid a disappointing 4-0 sweep in the finals.
Instead of panicking and changing their game plan, Boston’s head coach Joe Mazzulla stuck to his strategy and reminded his team that defense wins championships.
That mindset was embraced by the Celtics players as they limited the Mavericks to just 18 points in the first quarter, their lowest recorded quarter score through all five games of the NBA Finals.
As a result of their disciplined defensive schemes, the Celtics quickly took a comfortable 28-18 lead heading into the second quarter.
Just when Dallas thought they could recover from their poor start, the Celtics made the situation worse by scoring 39 points in the second period, extending their lead to 21 points by halftime.
Boston maintained their intensity and pace in the second half, preventing the Mavericks from trimming the lead to single digits despite Luka Doncic’s scoring resurgence.
Although the Celtics faced some cold stretches that allowed Dallas to get within 14-16 points, the quartet of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Jrue Holiday ensured the Mavericks couldn’t replicate their Game 3 comeback.
Tatum led Boston’s charge with a near triple-double, recording 31 points, 11 assists, eight rebounds, and two steals.
Meanwhile, Brown, the other half of Boston’s dynamic duo, contributed 21 points, eight rebounds, six assists, and two steals.
With his consistent performance in the finals, Brown was named this season’s Finals Most Valuable Player after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5.0 assists.
