The Boston Celtics defeated the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 in Game 5 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Monday night to clinch their record-breaking 18th NBA Championship title. The Celtics now move past the Los Angeles Lakers as the team with the most NBA titles in the league’s history.

The Celtics’ dominated, with Jayson Tatum finishing with 31 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds, with Jaylen Brown adding 21 points and Jrue Holiday with 15 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Overall, Boston scored 67 points in the first half and held Dallas to fewer than 100 points for the fourth time in the series, overwhelming Dallas with 3-point shooting. The Celtics led 78-52 with 9:10 left in the third quarter and easily sailed onto victory

The win marks the Celtics’ first championship title since 2008, and their second since 1986. The Celtics finish this year’s playoffs with a 16-3 record and one of the five best net ratings in league history. Additionally, the Celtics have won at least one title in six different decades: the 1950s, 1960s, 1970s, 1980s, 2000s and 2020s.

Editorial credit: rarrarorro / Shutterstock.com