Boston Celtics squash aspirations for sensational turnaround victory
The fleeting dream of a basketball miracle comes crashing down as the Boston Celtics snatch the NBA championship title from the Dallas Mavericks: The Celtics triumph as the lone record holders of the NBA.
Taking down the Dallas Mavericks' bid for a historic comeback, the Boston Celtics clinched the 18th NBA title for themselves. Guided by the exceptional talent of Jayson Tatum, Boston emerged victorious in the fifth game on Tuesday night against the Mavericks, with Maximilian Kleber, German forward, in attendance. The series was sealed with a 4-1 score in favor of the Celtics, pulling ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers (17) as the sole record champions.
"Holy crap! It's unreal. We did it," Tatum exclaimed after triumphing. "We did it - holy crap, we did it!" After a devastating 38-point loss in Game 4 last Friday, any possibility of a Mavericks comeback was rendered irrelevant.
At 31 points, Tatum was the leading scorer for his team, 16 years old to the day since Boston's last NBA Finals win - in 2008 over the Lakers. Jaylen Brown, named the MVP of the NBA Finals, contributed 21 rebounds.
Nowitzki's inspiration dwindles
Luka Doncic's 28 points for Dallas were not enough to secure victory. The significant 67:46 lead at half-time failed to be threatened in the electric TD Garden. After the game, Dallas icon Dirk Nowitzki motivated his players by saying, "Keep your heads up!!! We'll be back!!!", at age 45.
Dallas had tentatively hoped for a second title after 2011 (with Nowitzki) following the 122:84 win in the previous week – the third-highest score in NBA Finals history. Despite the 78th season in the US professional league, it remains a fact: No NBA team has ever won a playoff series after a 0:3 comeback.
"I'm proud of every player who had the courage to take to the court, every trainer, and everyone who worked behind the scenes. Of course, we didn't win the Finals, but we had an amazing season and I'm proud of everyone," Doncic said dejectedly.
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The Boston Celtics celebrated their NBA championship triumph, securing the 18th title in their storied history and denying the Dallas Mavericks a sensational playoffs comeback. Despite Luka Doncic's 28 points, the Mavericks fell short in the NBA basketball playoffs.
