The Boston Celtics clinched the NBA title this Monday by defeating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 (4-1 in the series) to claim their 18th championship ring.

The Celtics are now the team with the most titles in NBA history, as this latest championship allowed them to surpass their perennial rivals, the Los Angeles Lakers (17).

The green-clad team hadn't won a title since 2008 when Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen secured their 17th ring by defeating the Lakers.

Sixteen years later, the legendary franchise of Bill Russell, Larry Bird, Red Auerbach, and many other basketball icons has new stars in its pantheon, led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown (Finals MVP), who dominated the league from start to finish this season.

Finishing first in the East with the NBA's best record (64-18), under coach Joe Mazzulla, they crushed all their conference rivals and left no chance for the highly commendable Mavericks led by a physically strained Luka Doncic in the Finals.

The championship ring also signifies the long-awaited redemption for the "Jays," who had reached the Eastern Finals five times and the NBA Finals once (not counting this one), always falling just short of glory, particularly in those painful Finals losses to the Golden State Warriors in 2022.

They will no longer hear criticisms claiming they weren't ready to shine in the most important moments.

Alongside Tatum and Brown, the Celtics enjoyed the most complete and overwhelming lineup of the season.

Kristaps Porzingis, who returned on Monday after missing two games due to injury, and Jrue Holiday were two luxurious acquisitions, while versatile Derrick White completed this unforgettable heroic quintet.

From the bench, one of the standout figures of this triumphant evening was Dominican player Al Horford, who at 38 years old and after 17 seasons, finally touched the NBA sky.

That splendid collective effort shone brightly in the decisive game: Tatum nearly reached a triple-double in his best Finals performance (31 points, 8 rebounds, 11 assists); Brown contributed 21 points, 8 rebounds, and 6 assists; Holiday added 15 points and 11 rebounds; White contributed 14 points and 8 rebounds; Horford scored 9 points with 9 rebounds...

... and the team outrebounded the Mavericks (51 to 35) while their defense held strong (29.7% three-point shooting for Dallas).

The Mavericks, extending their historical record to 0-157 in NBA history for teams down 3-0 in a series (never remounted), ended their otherwise fantastic season on a bitter note. Doncic contributed 28 points, 12 rebounds, and 5 assists in their farewell, while Irving once again struggled in Boston with only 15 points and 9 assists.