The Boston Celtics claimed their 18th NBA title last season, defeating the Dallas Mavericks in the Finals. After an outstanding regular season, the Celtics maintained their high level of play throughout the playoffs, led by dynamic duo Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
Brown, who was named NBA Finals MVP, shared during an appearance on The Hot Ones show via the First We Feast YouTube channel that he pinpointed the moment he knew the Celtics were destined to be NBA champions. “Definitely in Finals Game 3. We were in Dallas, we were up 2-0, and they were storming back, the Mavericks,” Brown said.
“They got hot. Kyrie [Irving] starts going crazy, like one minute left, I hit a shot that kind of halted their momentum and helped us carry out and get the win,” Brown continued. “That was this year, and I think that moment helped us ultimately get the championship.”
The game Brown refers to was Boston’s 106-99 victory over the Mavericks in Game 3. Kyrie Irving had his best performance of the series with 35 points, and Luka Doncic added 27, but it wasn’t enough to overcome Brown’s 30 points and Tatum’s 31.
Jaylen Brown attempts a shot while being guarded by Tim Hardaway Jr. #10 of the Dallas Mavericks in the fourth quarter in Game Three of the 2024 NBA Finals. Stacy Revere/Getty Images
Kyrie Irving reflects on ‘disappointing’ NBA Finals performance
On a Twitch stream, Kyrie Irving reflected on the Mavericks’ loss to the Celtics in the Finals, expressing his frustration with how the season ended.
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“Last year was definitely disappointing from the standpoint of not winning the Finals as a team and coming up short,” Irving admitted. “We got there for a reason, but blood is definitely in the water.”
Irving didn’t shy away from taking responsibility for the Mavericks’ defeat. “I’m always going to take accountability, and it starts with me,” he said. “I didn’t play my best down the stretch, and that’s been eating me alive—in a healthy way. I’ve stayed motivated, and we’re gonna be back. We just need to have fun and take it day by day. But losing f— sucks.”
