The Boston Celtics stand alone on the NBA mountain top. Boston defeated a lesser Dallas Mavericks squad at home Monday night by the score of 106-88.
It represented the conclusion of an NBA Finals that lacked competitiveness throughout. Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum were much more superior than the Mavericks star duo of Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving. Surprisingly, Brown earned the NBA Finals MVP over Tatum.
Monday night’s win was emphatic. Boston held a 20-plus point lead throughout the second half before pulling its starters. Tatum went for 31 points. Brown added 21 points with eight rebounds and six assists.
As for Dallas, the stars just didn’t come to play. Irving shot a mere 5-of-16 from the field. Despite scoring 28 points with 12 rebounds, Doncic was a mistake waiting to happen. That included turning the ball over six times with just four assists.
For the Boston Celtics, this represents their 18th NBA title. They surpass the rival Los Angeles Lakers (17) for the most in the history of the Association.
Related: Winners and losers from Boston Celtics Game 5 victory in the NBA Finals
NBA world reacts to Boston Celtics making history
Interest in the 2024 NBA Finals was muted compared to previous iterations. That’s primarily because Boston was simply the better team outside of a brutal Game 4 showing.
Even then, those around the sports world had their reactions to the Celtics making history. It was an amazing playoff run for the historic team. It culminated in Boston making even more history. That was not lost on people.