Celtics end historic season 4-1 against Doncic | Relief

The Boston Celtics are NBA champions again. After 16 years of waiting and as many failed attempts, the green franchise returns to the top of the best basketball league. Because the Celtics are once again the team with the most rings in the NBA with 18. He did it by defeating Dallas in five games at TD Garden, extolled by opportunity and a first half of basketball that bordered on perfection. From the hand of Jayson Tatum and the Finals MVP Jaylen Brown, two names that have already made history in Boston. They eliminated Doncic and the Mavericks in a 106-88 game that was reminiscent of what they warned on the first day of the season: This is the best team in the NBA since October and they prove it every night.

Tatum scored 31 goals, had 11 assists and was just two rebounds shy of a triple-double. Jaylen, for his part, scored 21 with 8 rebounds and 6 assists.. A duo that dominated the regular season, playoffs and finally managed to become champions. They have overcome criticism, trauma and unforgettable moments to reach the top.

The wait was long. There have been tough losses along the way, like the 2010 Finals to Pau Gasol’s Lakers or the 2022 Finals to Golden State, the latest triumph of the Warriors dynasty. LeBron James has crossed paths with the Celtics enough times to be considered the city’s worst enemy in both Cleveland and Miami. And if not, then the magic of Dwight Howard, Jimmy Butler on the Heat or the injuries of Kevin Garnett, Kyrie Irving or Gordon Hayward. The wait was long and the path was difficult, full of potholes and uneven spots, but it was worth it. Because the Celtics are once again the team with the most rings in the NBA (18). One more than the perennial rival Lakers.

And the difference was that they were all in Boston, as opposed to the gold-purple franchise splitting them between Minneapolis and Los Angeles. Because for a Boston fan who grew up watching Bill Russell and John Havlicek and Larry Bird and Paul Pierce, this is important.. For those who have watched Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum wear green for seven years and work hard every season until they reach the top. So far he hasn’t been able to grow Larry O’Brien on the hardwood of TD Garden, which has more history than the other 29 franchises. Because in Boston they only celebrate rings and only hang title banners. And in October another one will rise to the roof.

One that caps off an almost perfect year.

The match had a little history. Kristaps Porzingis returned, having tried hard in the first quarter. And at times it seemed like the invention wouldn’t work, but Mazzulla cut the rotation even further.. He picked seven of his trusted men and Payton Pritchard, who played three seconds, enough to score another triple at half court. And with them, Boston refuted any arguments that the Mavericks brought with them into Dallas’ suitcase to continue the series. Jayson Tatum dominated at will, scoring 16 points and 9 assists while playing two-on-two with Jrue Holiday. And the three-pointers started coming, to the point where the difference at halftime was 21 points. Neither Kyrie nor Doncic were able to give the Mavericks a fighting chance, and this time the secondary wasn’t up to par.

On the contrary, except for Tatum and Jaylen, everyone appeared in Boston. Because that’s what makes the Celtics better. Jrue Holiday was a key player in the first half and finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds, and Derrick White showed up at the right time, as he does every night. Even Al Horford, at 38 years old and with 185 playoff games under his belt, finally won a ring. scored 9 points and 9 rebounds. All this in a disappointing second half in which they scored just 39 points (the same as the second quarter) but held the Mavs to just 42. The match was already decided long ago, the final was decided after the break.

In fact, with Denver’s permission, since October.

Doncic was late to the party. 28 points weren’t enough, especially another bad point from Kyrie Irving, who continues to have nightmares playing in Boston.. Too lonely, too protected by Jaylen Brown and Jrue Holiday, too overwhelmed by the Celtics’ dominance. Game 4 is remembered as an oasis in this final, where Boston, as in every playoff series, was vastly superior. And that is why today they are finally, after 16 years, NBA champions.