In the 2024 NBA Finals, the Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night, setting a new record for the most NBA titles (18). The triumph took place 16 years after their 17th title, which they also won within TD Garden's legendary halls.
Jayson Tatum led the Celtics with a brilliant b-ball performance, scoring 31 points, grabbing 8 rebounds, and dishing out 11 assists. He will always be remembered for his joyous "We Did It(!)" during a post-game interview. Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, meanwhile, continued to establish himself as one of the best players in the game with 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Brown won the coveted MVP title thanks to his Finals averages of 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 5 assists as well as his tough defense on Mavericks star Luka Doncic.
With this victory, the Celtics were able to overtake the Los Angeles Lakers, their enduring rivals, for the record for the most NBA titles ever. In their first opportunity to finish the series on Friday night, Boston played its poorest game of the year; the historic victory was a decisive response. They defeated the Lakers in Game 6 at TD Garden to win the 2008 title, and their triumph on Monday was identical to that game.
A remarkable halfcourt heave by Payton Pritchard ignited the sellout crowd and all but sealed the victory early, leading to a commanding 21-point advantage at the half. Even before Kristaps Porzingis, who had been out due to a ruptured medial retinaculum, returned halfway through the first quarter, the crowd was ecstatic. Even though Porzingis only played 16 minutes and scored 5 points, his presence was vital off the bench.
With a 16-3 record at the end, the Celtics' impressive playoff run is second only to the 16-1 Golden State Warriors' campaign from 2016–17 since the NBA's adoption of the four best-of-7 rounds system in 2003.
Considering that Boston had played more playoffs games over an eight-season stretch without winning a championship than any other club in NBA history, this victory represents a victorious retort to their prior playoff disappointments.
Joe Mazzulla, a 35-year-old second-year coach, became the youngest coach to lead a club to a championship since Bill Russell in 1969 when he led the Celtics to this historic triumph. With the victory, the NBA's current trend of clubs losing 3-0 in postseason series and going on to record 0-157 is maintained.
In addition to solidifying the Celtics' place in NBA history, their record-breaking 18th championship also portends well for a franchise with a rich history and a steadfast dedication to excellence.