Photo: NBAE
The Boston Celtics are once again NBA champions for the first time since 2008.
The Celtics cruised to a 106-88 win against the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden Monday (June 17) night. The win marked Boston's NBA record 18th championship in franchise history, which surpassed a record previously shared with the rival Los Angeles Lakers.
Jayson Tatum recorded a game-best 31 points and 11 assists, as well as eight rebounds, while playing 45 of 48 total minutes.
Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points, eight rebounds and six assists in 44 minutes of action and was named as the NBA Finals Most Valuable Player, an award named in honor of late Celtics legend and 11-time NBA champion Bill Russell. Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and 5.0 assists during the NBA Finals.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla, 35, became the youngest head coach to win the NBA championship since Russell led the Celtics to a title as a player/coach in 1969. The Celtics jumped out to an early lead Monday night, finishing the first quarter with a 28-18 advantage and a 39-28 edge at halftime.
Boston finished the 2023-24 regular season with an NBA-best 64-18 record (.780 winning percentage), which included going 37-4 at TD Garden. The Celtics went 16-3 during the NBA Playoffs, which included sweeping the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and winning every other series in five games.
Boston won its last last NBA championship came in 2008 and appeared in the NBA Finals in 2010, 2022 and 2024.