The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 of the Finals to win their 18th NBA championship. Jayson Tatum spearheaded the charge with 31 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds. Finals MVP Jaylen Brown averaged 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and five assists throughout the series. He added 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists.
After a 16-3 playoff run, the Celtics finally won it all against the Mavericks. This came on the 16th anniversary of their previous championship. Derrick White scored fourteen points, while Jrue Holiday tallied fifteen points and 11 rebounds. The Bruins broke the game open with a 17-7 run in the second quarter, seizing control of the situation. With a 49-foot buzzer-beater from Payton Pritchard, the Celtics took a commanding 67-46 lead into halftime.
The Mavericks had trouble preventing turnovers, even though Luka Doncic had a solid game with 28 points and 12 boards. Two other players, Kyrie Irving (15 points) and Josh Green (14 points), also contributed. But Boston was too much for Dallas to handle. The Celtics went up 78-52 in the third quarter and never looked back, easily winning the record-setting championship.
