Celtics Win Game 5, Crowned NBA Champions
By Josue Pavon
The Boston Celtics are NBA champions. They beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 to win the 2024 NBA Finals 4-1.
The Celtics captured their 18th title in franchise history, Boston's first since 2008. They got to work and jumped to an early lead in the first quarter. Leading by double figures after the opening frame, Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving did their best to muster up their first lead of the night, but it didn't happen, as the Mavs never once led.
Jayson Tatum (31 points, eight rebounds, and 11 assists) flirted with a triple-double, and Jaylen Brown finished with 21 points as the All-Star duo led four Celtics players in double figures, including Jrue Holiday (15 points), and Derrick White (14 points). Boston's backcourt also held Irving, who netted 15 points on 5-of-16 shooting, in check defensively.
The Celtics' defense stifled Dallas all night, and Boston's 39-point first half, topped off by a half-court buzzer-beating three by Payton Pritchard over Doncic, was the icing on the cake. The Mavericks headed into halftime trailing by 21 points (67-46).
By the 2:37 mark, the Celtics had built their advantage back up to 21, which was when the Celtics fans at TD Garden could taste the proverbial champagne of an NBA title.
The Celtics finished the postseason with a remarkable 16-3 record and will be remembered as one of the most dominating campaigns in recent NBA history, as coach Joe Mazzulla guided the 2023-24 Celtics to an 80-21 record.
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