The Boston Celtics recovered from a dismal showing in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals to blast the Dallas Mavericks at home in Game 5, winning the series 4-1 to capture the franchise’s record-setting 18th title. The Celtics have building towards this moment for many years and finally found the right combination this season, winning 64 games on tremendous efficiency. Boston’s advanced metrics rank them favorably with other title teams from the past, and they lost just three games in their run to the championship. The Celtics were +400 to win the championship according to DraftKings Sportsbook ahead of the 2023-24 season, making them co-favorites with the Bucks at the time.
Boston’s two big trade acquisitions must be acknowledged as part of the team’s success. The Celtics were able to land veteran point guard Jrue Holiday and versatile big man Kristaps Porzingis to upgrade key spots in their core, adding to the overall talent level of their squad while creating a unit that could play well together on both ends of the floor. It’s the first title for Porzingis, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford and Derrick White, while Holiday captures his second after winning in 2021 with the Bucks.
Brown was named Finals MVP after his steady performance over the course of the series. The star forward entered the series at +650 to win the honor but quickly became the favorite thanks to his production. His 30-point, eight-assist and eight-rebound showing in Game 3 cemented his spot as the player to beat to win Finals MVP as the Celtics took a 3-0 lead. Even though Tatum put on a strong showing in the closeout game, Brown had the better overall numbers.
The Celtics open as the 2024-25 title favorites at DraftKings Sportsbook and will bring back most of their core for next season. Boston is +280 to win the title next year, well ahead of the Nuggets (+700), Thunder (+800), Timberwolves (+850) and Bucks (+850).