Jayson Tatum Brings Celtics To 18th Title After Beating Mavericks

Boston Celtics locked their 18th title with a landslide win of 106-88 over Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals 5 Game. (photo: x @celtics)

JAKARTA -- Jayson Tatum became a hero for the Boston Celtics. on Monday night 17 June or Tuesday morning WIB, he scored 31 points and 11 assists as Boston locked their 18th title with a landslide win of 106-88 over Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.

Tatum also collected eight rebounds, while Jaylen Brown added 21 points, eight rebounds, and six assists for Boston, which celebrates their 17th anniversary of their 17th title by completing a playoff journey with a record 16-3.

Celtics beat Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 Finals, and both franchises share NBA records with 17 championships each before Monday's game.

One of the first to congratulate the Boston Celtics star, Jayson Tatum, after winning the NBA championship was his 6-year-old son.

"He said that I was the best in the world," said Tatum. "I replied, 'You're right.'"

While Brown was selected as the Final MVP, an award named after the Celtics legend, Bill Russell, after scoring an average of 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds, and five assists. Brown admired Russell very much, making this award even more special.

"I can't even express it with words," Brown said. "Just Bill Russell and what he represented during my trip in Boston, and the spirit. You know, everything he stands for, just for Bill Russell's MVP award.... I don't even know what to say. It's not real."

Jrue Holiday scored 15 points and 11 rebounds and Derrick White accounted for 14 points as Boston bounced back from a 122-84 defeat to close the best-of-seven series.

"We did it together," Holiday said. "I hope that when people watch us play, they see the happiness we play, that we enjoy playing together, and we finish it together. I feel it is the most important thing."

Meanwhile Luka Doncic led the Mavericks with 28 points and 12 rebounds, but he made seven turnovers. Kyrie Irving scored 15 points and nine assists for Dallas, and Josh Green scored 14 points. Doncic believes that the best days of Mavericks are still ahead of them.

"I feel great. We did some great moves," said Doncic, referring to changes to the team list. "I would say we've been together for five months. I'm proud of everyone who steps on the pitch, everyone at the back. Obviously, we didn't win (Final), but we had an amazing season and I'm proud of everyone of them."

After Dallas asked for a timeout with 3:11 remaining in the second quarter, 11 points behind, Boston really opened up the game.

Celtics scored 17 of the next 24 points, six of which came from Brown. Paytonmas closed the explosion in a surprising way, putting a 49-foot shot from half a field on the bell to send Boston to the break with a 67-46 lead.

"Payton is one of my best competitors and one of my favorite people in the world," said Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla. "It's just the way he competes, professionalism and just because of his ability to be proud of things like that. He's really evolving as a player this year to be a balanced player on both sides of the pitch, and he won us a game."

Holiday Layup pushed the Celtics' lead to 78-52 with 9:10 remaining in the third quarter. Green then put back and put a 3-pointer shot as part of a 10--2 run that brought Mavericks closer to 80-62.

Dallas then approached with a difference of 17, but Boston took the 86-67 lead to the fourth quarter. Celtics is on top with at least 18 points for the remainder of the game.

"It grew rapidly. Turnover caused the basket to be easy or three-point shots wide open (for the Celtics)," said Mavericks coach Jason Kidd. "So they took advantage of that, and we couldn't keep printing or following their rhythms. We got a good look that just didn't come in for us."

Tatum's three-point game put the Celtics 46-31 ahead with 7:08 remaining in the first half, but then Dallas took over. Mavericks scored all their points in the painting during the 8-2 run to get closer with nine points before Al Horford stopped the rate with a hard lay.

Horford's basket comes just before the Mavericks' timeout that preceded Boston's game change rate.

Boston lives in the last 1:39 of the first quarter, tearing nine points in a row to bring the 28-18 lead to the second quarter.

Celtics ended up shooting 42.7 percent from the floor. Dallas shot 44.9 percent overall but lost ten points on the free throw line, lost in a 51-35 rebound, and made 13 turnsovers compared to nine for Boston.