For the first time since 2008, the Boston Celtics have clinched a title in the biggest stage of NBA basketball as they defeated the Dallas Mavericks in a show of attrition after a promising campaign that showed why the Celtics deserved to win the NBA title right from the start of the season.

Jayson Tatum dropped 31 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds to lead the Celtics in the massive victory, while Jaylen Brown chipped in 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists. Jrue Holiday had 15 points and 11 rebounds, while Derrick White added 14 points and 8 rebounds. The Celtics were firing from all cylinders, drilling 13 threes early in the game.

But the defense was the biggest story of the game. Dallas was held to just 29.7% from three, and had 13 turnovers for the whole game. Kyrie Irving only had 15 points, and Luka Doncic was held under 30 points for the fourth straight game – even making 0-6 from deep in the first half.

A Story of Back-and-Forth Runs

Dallas was well within the game despite their poor shooting, making runs to stay on the prowl and keep their hopes alive. However, a sudden burst from Boston that spanned just a minute helped the Celtics take the wheel to end the first quarter with a 28-18 lead. The Celtics would go on to pour more offensive barrages in the second as they scored 39 points to build a 67-46 lead at halftime.

On that note, Luka Doncic was held to just 9 points at the half, and no other Mavericks player had scored double-digits aside from Josh Green, who drilled three threes in the first half and ended the game with 14 points total. Boston has been deadly almost everywhere on the court, and even that halfcourt buzzer-beater three from Payton Pritchard set the cherry on top of a winning cake that sealed the deal right from the start.

A Story of Firsts in Boston

Al Horford, at the age of 38, has finally won the NBA Finals for the first time. It was also the first time that a player from the Dominican Republic has won the NBA title. There are a lot of firsts in the storied ending by the Boston Celtics. Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and Kristaps Porzingis all won their first NBA titles. It is also the first title for head coach Joe Mazzulla as the man at the helm, and the first for Brad Stevens as the president of basketball operations.

Also, for the first time since the 2016-17 Golden State Warriors, who had a 67-15 record, the team with the best record in the season has won the NBA Finals, with the Boston Celtics finishing the 2023-24 season with a 64-18 record and NBA Champions.

Lucky Date Continues to be Lucky

The last time the Boston Celtics won their NBA title was in the 2008 NBA Finals, where they defeated the Kobe-led Lakers in a 131-92 victory. If you are looking at the date, it was on June 17, 2008. Now 16 years later, on the same day, the Celtics would go on to blow out the Mavericks in stunning fashion, with a lot of promising plays as they wrapped up the 106-88 win that defined their story for seasons. Now they are champions – the winningest in NBA history.