The Celtics are back on top.
Boston defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 at TD Garden Arena on Monday to win the 2024 NBA title in five games. The result marked Boston’s 18th championship, breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most in league history.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with 31 points, 11 assists and 8 rebounds. Jaylen Brown — named NBA Finals MVP — added 21 points and 8 rebounds.
“Bill Russell would be so proud,” NBA commissioner Adam Silver said of Brown before handing him the trophy named after the late Celtics great.
Luka Doncic led the Mavericks in defeat with 28 points and 12 rebounds.
“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.”
Boston claimed the Larry O’Brien Trophy thanks to one of the greatest offenses in NBA history. The Celtics — who boasted the NBA’s best regular-season record at 64-18 — ranked No. 1 in the league with a 122.2 offensive rating. They were second in points per game (120.6) and rebounds per game (46.3), and they hit the most 3-pointers per game (16.5) of any team.
Tatum was named first team All-NBA after he put up 26.9 points, 8.1 rebounds and 4.9 assists a game this season. Jaylen Brown complemented him with averages of 23 points and 5.5 rebounds.
Boston’s defense wasn’t too shabby, either. The Celtics’ 110.6 rating was No. 2 in the NBA this season, and they led the league in blocked shots (6.6 a contest).
It is Boston’s first title since 2008, when it beat the Lakers in six games.
Celtics big man Al Horford played in 186 postseason games before winning a title, the most in NBA history. After the win, he said the wait was worth it.
“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.”
First appeared on www.nbcnews.com