Looking back at title no. 18 for the Celtics

The Boston Celtics, the epitome of basketball excellence, secured their 18th championship with a dominant win over the Dallas Mavericks. The victory, marked by emotion and jubilation, saw Jayson Tatum reduced to tears and the team dancing on a confetti-covered TD Garden floor. The Celtics’ triumph in the NBA Finals, presented by YouTube TV, lasted five games, with the elimination game nearly secured from the start.

Here are the final five takeaways of how the Celtics pursued and secured No. 18:

1.       Dominance Always on Display

The Celtics won 64 times in the regular season, leading the league, and then elevated their game when it mattered most. The postseason was a complete and total flex, with only three defeats spread over four rounds. This tip-to-buzzer display will be recognized by history, measuring these Celtics with the best teams of this era.

Given their scorched-earth performance from October through June, the Celtics’ biggest threat all along was … themselves? The anticipation this season was steep for a team with certified stars and dependable players. And the Celtics never wavered from the weight of expectations—they met it head-on.

They won with and without Kristaps Porzingis, their oft-injured 7-foot-3 center who staggered through the season and missed a month of the postseason. They executed a first-round dismissal of the Heat in five games, ousted the Cavaliers in five, and swept the Pacers.

2.       Tatum and Brown for the Crown

Jaylen Brown locked up Luka Doncic in Game 5 to seal the Bill Russell trophy as 2024 NBA Finals MVP. The Celtics clinched the championship Monday in a manner that defined the essence of this team—lots of Tatum and Brown, who combined for 52 points, 16 rebounds, and 17 assists.

They went all tag-team, taking turns burying the Mavericks and sealing that team’s doom. Tatum broke free from a series-long pair of handcuffs and finally had a fluid night shooting the ball. There was a third-quarter stretch where he went iso and felt free.

Drafted in back-to-back years, Tatum and Brown had to grow together, learn each other’s tendencies, and find common ground before they could soar. And even after they became a dangerous tandem, the ultimate reward avoided them. This championship represented a goal that, until now, proved slippery—Tatum and Brown appeared in six conference finals together. This was their second NBA Finals. And finally, their first title together.

3.       A Salute to Stevens

The MVP—Most Valuable President—of the Finals was a landslide winner, no questions asked, and all of them answered. Let us just say Red Auerbach is in hoop heaven saluting Brad Stevens with a lit stoogie.

Stevens is at the top of his profession, quite an ascent from someone who transitioned from coaching. “It’s a lot easier to build a team if you can start with Tatum and Brown,” Stevens said. “We are just trying to accentuate their strengths. Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, Derrick White, Kristaps Porzingis, we are lucky they are here.”

The chef’s kiss was Holiday, acquired last summer. Who knew he would be the Portland Trail Blazers guard who would get traded to a contender and win a title? Somewhere in Milwaukee, Damian Lillard ain’t laughing.

Holiday replaced the defense the Celtics lost when they traded Marcus Smart and brought championship sensibilities from winning a title with the Bucks in 2021. Porzingis was a 20-point scorer who recovered from injuries with two big Finals games. Derrick White hit big shots and Al Horford anchored the frontline.

This Celtics team is favorites again to win the back-to-back in the next 2024-2025 championship according and the Massachusetts Sportsbook Promo Codes offer fans the chance to get in on the action, celebrating the Celtics’ 18th championship and looking ahead to the future.

4.       A More Mature Mazzulla Makes a Difference

The only questionable decision made by Stevens was to elevate an assistant coach with no NBA head coaching experience. But an explanation: When the Celtics left Ime Udoka in the fall of 2023, right before camp, most unemployed candidates were gone.

So, Stevens went with his gut and gave the job to Mazzulla, who knew the personnel but dealt with growing pains anyway. Those proved costly in the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, where the Celtics lost to the lower-seeded Heat.

“I feel like it’s going to be like that for the rest of my career, as it should be,” said Mazzulla of the skepticism. “You need expectations. All those things go into making who you are as a person. If someone tells you ‘Good job,’ that is just as dangerous as someone telling you (stink). You need both in order to get to where you want to get to, and there is no place elseI wouldwould rather be.”

5.       The Championship Was Never in Doubt

The Mavericks won the game, emphatically at that. They had a chance in another. But at no point did the feeling of this series favor them. This was Boston’s to lose. And the Celtics were too good to allow that to happen.

When they needed a basket, they turned to Brown. A defensive stop? Holiday. A big shot? White. Someone to create for others? Tatum refused to be swallowed up by his shooting slump. And other players fell in line.

A half-court heave to beat the halftime buzzer? That chore belonged to Payton Pritchard, who made two in the series. All the key moments, plays, rebounds, buckets, and stops trickled, then avalanched for the Celtics. Before long, Game 5 was a wrap. The championship was a snap.

“Man, I never forget what Danny Ainge told me,” Horford said. “He said, ‘You can win championships in many places, but there is nothing like winning in Boston. Nothing like winning as a Celtic.’ And that stuck with me.” It has stuck with everyone associated with the 2023-24 Celtics. They are now 1 of 18. Built for a banner. The tie with the archrivals Los Angeles Lakers has finally been broken. Those Celtics legends like the great late Bill Russell are smiling in the sky showing a 1 and an 8 with their fingers showing they are all alone in the lead for top championships in the history of the NBA.