The Mavericks had been protecting tempo at the beginning of the sport, however Boston went on a 9-0 run to shut out the primary quarter, giving them a 10-point lead that then grew to 21 by halftime. Dallas by no means got here inside single digits for the whole second half.
The Celtics cruised by the common season with the perfect document within the NBA after which did even higher within the playoffs, by no means trailing in a sequence whereas successful 15 of their first 17 video games. They opened a 3-0 lead on Dallas, however the Mavericks averted elimination with a 122-84 victory on Friday evening — the third-biggest blowout in Finals historical past.
That despatched the sequence again to Boston, the place the Celtics closed it out. Boston’s 18 NBA titles are probably the most all-time, with Monday evening’s win shifting them one forward of the Los Angeles Lakers, now in second place with 17 championships.
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Jayson Tatum had 31 factors, 11 assists and eight rebounds and Jaylen Brown, who was named Finals MVP, added 21 factors. Jrue Holiday completed with 15 factors and 11 rebounds. Center Kristaps Porzingis additionally supplied an emotional raise, getting back from a two-game absence due to a dislocated tendon in his left ankle to chip in 5 factors in 17 minutes.
It helped the Celtics cap a postseason that noticed them go 16-3 and end with an 80-21 total document. That .792 successful share ranks second in staff historical past behind solely the Celtics’ 1985-86 championship staff that completed 82-18.
