BOSTON. – One of the first people to congratulate Boston Celtics star Jayson Tatum on winning the NBA championship was his six-year-old son.
“He told me that I was the best in the world,” Tatum said. “I said, ‘You’re damn right I am.’”
Tatum certainly looked like it on Monday night (Tuesday in Manila), recording 31 points and 11 assists as Boston locked up its league-record 18th title with a 106-88 blowout of the Dallas Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA finals.
Tatum also had eight rebounds while Jaylen Brown added 21 points, eight boards and six assists for Boston, which celebrated the 16th anniversary of its 17th title by completing a 16-3 playoff run.
The Celtics knocked off the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2008 finals, and those two teams shared the NBA record with 17 championships apiece entering Game 5.
Brown was selected the finals MVP, an award named after Celtics legend Bill Russell, after averaging 20.8 points, 5.4 rebounds and five assists. Russell was someone that Brown admired, making the honor even more special.
“I can’t even put it into words,” Brown said. “Just Bill Russell and what he meant for me through my Boston journey, and his spirit. You know, everything that he stood for, just for this to be the Bill Russell MVP Award. . . I don’t even know what to say. It’s unreal.”
Jrue Holiday had 15 points and 11 rebounds and Derrick White chipped in 14 points as Boston bounced back from a 122-84 loss to wrap up the best-of-seven series.
“We did it together,” Holiday said. “I hope that when people watch us play, they see the joy that we play with, that we love playing together, and we got it done together. I feel like that’s the most important thing.”
Luka Doncic paced the Mavericks with 28 points and 12 boards, but he committed seven turnovers. Kyrie Irving finished with 15 points and nine assists for Dallas, and Josh Green netted 14 points.
Doncic is confident that the Mavericks’ best days are ahead of them.
“I feel great. We made some great moves,” Doncic said, referring to the team’s roster changes. “I would say we’ve been together for five months. I’m proud of every guy that stepped on the floor, all the coaches, all the people behind. Obviously, we didn’t win (the) Finals, but we did have a hell of a season and I’m proud of every one of them.”
