Jaylen Brown and the Celtics fended off a very worthy adversary in the NBA Finals. Boston was challenged to subdue Luka Doncic on basketball’s biggest stage. This was no easy task, as the Mavericks star averaged nearly 29 points per game across an unexpectedly lengthy Dallas playoff run that spanned across 22 contests. Doncic almost […]
Jaylen Brown and the Celtics fended off a very worthy adversary in the NBA Finals.
Boston was challenged to subdue Luka Doncic on basketball’s biggest stage. This was no easy task, as the Mavericks star averaged nearly 29 points per game across an unexpectedly lengthy Dallas playoff run that spanned across 22 contests.
Doncic almost averaged a double-double (29.2 points, 8.8 rebounds) in the Finals, but his efforts weren’t enough to yield an upset. The Mavs’ championship dreams were officially vanquished Monday evening when the C’s won Game 5 at TD Garden and claimed the Larry O’Brien Trophy for the 18th time in franchise history.
Before Brown popped champagne bottles with his Celtics teammates, the NBA Finals MVP made a point to salute Doncic and recognize his impact on the series.
“Luka, you’re a killer,” Brown told Doncic, per a mic’d-up video. “You got the best out of me. I love you, bro.”
The Mavericks will be hard-pressed to return to the Finals next season, as the Western Conference figures to be even more competitive than it was in the 2023-24 campaign. But oddsmakers are expecting more of the same from Doncic, who as of Friday had the second shortest odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win league MVP next season.
