June 18, (THEWILL)- The Boston Celtics have become the NBA champions once again. The franchise secured its 18th title on Monday night, defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 to win the series 4-1. This milestone championship ends a 16-year title drought for the Celtics and breaks a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in league history.Â
Celtics stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, led the way, with Tatum scoring 31 points and Brown winning Finals MVP honours after averaging 20.8 points per game in the series. At 35, head coach, Joe Mazzulla, became the youngest coach to win a title since the ABA-NBA merger in 1976.
“I can’t even put into words the emotions, it’s just, I’m blessed and I’m grateful,” said an emotional Brown after the victory. “This was a full team effort.” Brown and Tatum have been co-anchors for Boston since 2017, making this a long-awaited breakthrough after years of playoff disappointment.
The championship was Boston’s first since 2008, ending the franchise’s second-longest drought. Luka Doncic led Dallas with 28 points, but the talented Mavericks were overwhelmed by the powerful and experienced Celtics. Boston’s depth and physicality proved too much.
With the victory, the Celtics reasserted themselves as the NBA’s most successful franchise. Now holders of 18 titles, they have more championships than any other team in league history. The journey was an arduous one for stars like Tatum and Brown, but that made the thrill of the achievement even sweeter.
About the Author
Jude Obafemi is a versatile senior Correspondent at THEWILL Newspapers, excelling in sourcing, researching, and delivering sports news stories for both print and digital publications.
