Boston's run to championship glory was nothing short of dominant. The Celtics went 16-3 throughout the playoffs, including a sweep of the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals and a 4-1 title clinching triumph over Dallas in the Finals.
Here's a breakdown of the authoritative postseason journey to Banner 18.
Eastern Conference First Round
Boston Celtics 4, Miami Heat 1
Top players:Jayson Tatum (21.8 ppg., 10.4 rpg., 5.4 apg.); Jaylen Brown (22.8 ppg., 7.0 rpg., 2.2 apg., 1.0 spg.); Derrick White (22.4 ppg., 3.2 apg., 1.0 bpg.).
The top-seeded Celtics opened the playoffs with the first of four convincing series wins, doing so against their newfound rivals —a team that had their number in recent years and ousted them in Game 7 of the 2023 East Finals.
Yes, the Heat were without the services of Jimmy Butler. But considering the way Boston established themselves early and often, it likely wouldn't have mattered even if he had played.
Boston took Game 1 at home, 114-94. The Heat bounced back to take Game 2, 111-101, but it took a franchise playoff record 23 3-pointers to do so. Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis was injured in that loss and didn't return until Game 1 of the NBA Finals before ultimately suffering another injury.
Even without their 7-foot-2 defensive anchor, Boston rebounded loudly from there, winning Games 3 and 4 on the road by 104-84 and 102-88 scores, respectively. The Celtics then closed things out at TD Garden in blowout fashion, 118-84.
Bam Adebayo was a force offensively for Miami throughout the series, averaging over 22 points and nine rebounds. But he got little help from a supporting cast that included sharpshooter Tyler Herro. Boston's gritty defense held Miami to an average of just 92.2 points per contest, limiting the Heat to 43.8 percent shooting from the field and 32.9 percent from beyond the arc.
The Celtics got the proverbial monkey off their backs against the Heat, and it set the stage for a confident and determined run to Banner 18.
Memorable performance:DerrickWhite exploded for a playoff career-high 38 points in the Game 4 win. He knocked down 15-of-26 shots and hit a playoff career-high eight triples to boot. Defensively, White added three blocks. He played a team-high 41 minutes and largely carried the load in the decisive victory.
Eastern Conference Second Round
Boston Celtics 4, Cleveland Cavaliers 1
Top players:Jayson Tatum (26.8 ppg., 10.4 rpg., 6.2 apg., 1.6 spg.); Jaylen Brown (23.4 ppg., 6.2 rpg., 2.8 apg.)
The first two games of the Celtics' battle against Donovan Mitchell's Cavs largely mirrored that of their first round series with Miami. Boston rolled to a 120-95 win in Game 1, but were run out of their own building in a 118-94 Game 2 loss.
At the time, this reoccurring theme of dropping the ball in Game 2 at home concerned fans and media alike. But it proved to be an outlier as the Celtics roared back to win Game 3 (106-93), Game 4 (109-102) and Game 5 (113-98), to advance to the Conference Finals.
Mitchell injured his left calf towards the end of Game 3 and was out for the remainder of the series. Boston took advantage, and even with Cavs' rising star big man Evan Mobley (21.4 ppg., 9.4 rpg., 1.0 bpg) doing his best to fill the void, the Celtics' depth and 'finish the job' mentality proved too much.
Memorable performance:In a pivotal Game 3 triumph that helped Boston regain control of the series for good, Jayson Tatum (33 points, 13 rebounds, 6 assists) and Jaylen Brown (28 points, 8 rebounds) led the charge statistically. But it was Jrue Holiday who arguably made the biggest impact.
The first-year Celtic broke out offensively, scoring a then-playoff high 18 points to go with seven boards. He was efficient, too, canning 7-of-10 shots from the field and drilling three of his four attempts from distance. Holiday seemed to come into his own (at least on the offensive end) that night, and he remained a key factor on that end of the floor for the remainder of the playoffs.
Eastern Conference Finals
Boston Celtics 4, Indiana Pacers 0
Top players:Jaylen Brown (29.8 ppg., 5.0 rpg., 3.0 apg., 2.0 spg.); Jayson Tatum (30.3 ppg., 10.3 rpg., 6.3 apg., 1.3 spg.); Jrue Holiday (18.5 ppg., 7.3 rpg., 5.8 apg., 1.5 spg.)
Larry Bird Trophy ECF MVP award:Jaylen Brown
Basketball fans were hoping for a matchup between the Celtics and New York Knicks in the conference finals. Instead, the high octane Pacers— who boasted the league's highest scoring offenseever—outlasted Jalen Brunson's Knicks to set up what wound up being Boston's toughest test of the postseason. Yes, the Celtics ultimately swept Indiana, but it didn't come easy as virtually every game could've gone either way.
In Game 1, Boston was given a gift from the basketball gods. Indiana held a three-point lead on the road with 8.5 seconds remaining, and all it had to do was inbound the basketball, make a free throw and the game was over. Instead, they suffered an untimely turnover on the ensuing inbounds pass and Jaylen Brown proceeded to drill a ridiculously difficult, well contested corner 3-ball to knot things up. Pacers guard Tyrese Halburton's prayer at the regulation horn was off the mark, and Boston ran away in overtime for a 133-128 win.
As deflating as the Game 1 defeat was for Indiana, the underdogs didn't quit. Brown tied a playoff career-high with 40 points in a 126-110 Game 2 win, but both of the next two games were as close as it gets.
In Game 3, Indiana built 18-point leads in both the second and third quarters, only to watch Boston roar back down the stretch. The Celtics bore down defensively, holding Indiana scoreless for the final three minutes and 33 seconds of regulation. Jrue Holiday came up with a go-ahead three-point play and sealed the deal with a clutch steal and a pair of free throws in the final second to secure a 114-111 win for Boston. Before the Pacers scoring drought, they held an eight-point advantage heading into those final three minutes.
Game 4 was just as nerve-racking. Indiana built an 11-point lead early in the fourth quarter, but Boston proved their mettle by making the big plays in crunch time yet again to prevail, 105-102, and punch its ticket to the Finals. The Celtics used a 15-4 run late in the fourth quarter to pull away for good, with Derrick White capping it off with a game-deciding triple with 45 seconds left.
Memorable performance:Game 3's improbable Celtics' victory— they outscored the Pacers 33-21 in the final quarter— was a true team triumph. All five starters scored in double figures, but it was Jayson Tatum who put the biggest stamp on the win.
Tatum dropped a near triple-double, going for 36 points with five triples, 10 rebounds, eight assists and two blocks. His drive and behind-the-back kick-out pass to Al Horford for a corner three late will go down as one of the most awe-inspiring, memorable plays of the entire postseason.
NBA Finals
Boston Celtics 4, Dallas Mavericks 1
Top players: Jaylen Brown (20.8 ppg., 5.4 rpg., 5.0 apg., 1.6 spg.); Jayson Tatum (22.2 ppg., 7.8 rpg., 7.2 apg., 1.0 spg.)
Bill Russell Finals MVP award:Jaylen Brown
The Celtics opened the Finals like they did in each of their previous three rounds: with a dominant win. Mavericks superstar LukaDončić led all scorers with 30 points and 10 boards, but Boston held Dallas to just nine (!) assists en route to a wire-to-wire 107-89 victory.
Game 1 was the Kristaps Porzingis Game. The big man returned to the lineup after more than a month off with a calf injury and exploded for 18 first-half points as the Celtics built a 21-point lead at the break and cruised to the finish line. Six Celtics players reached double figures in scoring (all five starters plus Porzingis).
Game 2 was more of a test, asDončićturned in a 32-point, 11-rebound, 11-assist triple double. But Boston stayed the course, erasing an early deficit to take a three-point halftime lead and hold on down the stretch for a 105-98 decision. Jrue Holiday was massive in the win, dropping 26 points on near-perfect shooting (11-for-14) to go with 11 rebounds. Tatum struggled with his shot but dished out a game-high 12 assists.
In Game 3, the Mavericks built a double-digit lead in the opening quarter. The Celtics then flipped the script and seized a 21-point lead of their own early in the fourth quarter. But behind an anxious and fired up home crowd at American Airlines Center, the Mavericks quickly erased that deficit, climbing back to within one point late. But White, Tatum and Brown all made key shots in crunch time to avoid being on the wrong end of history and snaring a commanding 3-0 Finals lead with a 106-99 decision. The game featured 19 lead changes and a flurry of runs by both teams.
Game 4 was all Dallas.Dončić set the tone early and often, scoring 25 points in the first half alone as his team raced out to a 61-35 at the break. Boston never recovered in what was realistically their worst game of the entire season, a forgettable 122-84 setback.
That defeat proved to be an anomaly, however, as the Celtics returned to their home floor for Game 5 and clinched their NBA-record 18th championship banner with a 106-88 win. The decisive triumph was never really close; Boston led 67-46 at halftime and never allowed Dallas to recover, keeping its foot on the gas throughout.
Tatum was spectacular while going for 31 points, eight rebounds and 11 assists, but it was Brown who was crowned Finals MVP. The latter was incredible defensively throughout the championship series, taking pride in locking upDončić and making life as difficult as possible for the Mavs' superstar.
Many players contributed in the final victory. Holiday was everywhere defensively and efficient again offensively, scoring 15 points with 11 rebounds and four dimes. Porzingis gutted through yet another injury and provided a mental boost, even if his play was average at best. Derrick White hit some big threes, as did Sam Hauser. Even Payton Pritchard checked in with mere seconds remaining in the first half to cash in with one of his patented halfcourt shots at the buzzer and help build momentum.
Memorable performance:The Game 5 clincher has to take the cake. Boston's true team performance was emblematic of their season as a whole. Their cohesiveness, unselfishness and toughness shone bright, and it resulted in the franchise's first title in 16 years.
White chipped a tooth and returned to action without missing a beat; Porzingis played through the pain in the biggest game of his life; Tatum and Brown did their thing, and the rest of the Celtics' group came together to help the Celtics summit the top of the basketball world once again.
