Boston Celtics defeat Dallas Mavericks to claim record 18th NBA title
Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum holds, center, up the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy at NBA Finals
The Boston Celtics secured a 4-1 series victory over the Dallas Mavericks to earn a record 18th NBA title.
Having lost heavily in game four in Dallas, the Celtics made no mistake as they returned to Boston with a convincing 106-88 win.
The win came on the anniversary of the Celtics' last title in 2008 and moves them ahead of rivals the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships.
The Celtics got off to a fast start, taking a 28-18 lead in the first quarter which they had extended to 67-46 by half-time.
The Mavericks cut the gap by two in the third quarter, but the result was not in doubt for much of the final quarter.
“We owed our fans, it’s been a long journey,” said Jayson Tatum, who scored 31 points, 11 assists, and eight rebounds.
Jaylen Brown added 21 points and was named the NBA Finals MVP. Jrue Holiday finished with 15 points and 11 rebounds while centre Kristaps Porzingis returned from injury with five points.
At 35, Joe Mazzulla became the youngest coach to win a championship since Bill Russell with the Celtics in 1969, while 38-year-old Al Horford won his first title after an NBA record 186 playoff games without one.
Luka Doncic finished with 28 points for Dallas while Kyrie Irving managed 15 points against his former club.