In a somewhat subdued performance, Kyrie Irving and his star teammate Luka Doncic couldn’t prevent the Boston Celtics from defeating the Dallas Mavericks, 106-88, to clinch the 2024 NBA Finals.
Following the game, Irving took to X (formerly Twitter) to rally Mavericks fans, emphasizing unity in the face of defeat.
“Tribe, stay together no matter what. Through the ups and downs, wins and losses, success and failure. Keep your head up high. This mission is bigger than us. I love you all! Hélà🤞🏾🪶♾❤️” Kyrie wrote .
In the final moments of the game, as the Mavericks’ coach pulled all the starters, Kyrie approached the Celtics to offer his congratulations. He finished the night with 15 points, 3 rebounds, and 9 assists.
Kyrie showing respect to the Celtics as he checks out of Game 5 💯 pic.twitter.com/c4uyqMcFVa
— NBA (@NBA) June 18, 2024
The victory marked the Celtics’ 18th championship in franchise history. Jrue Holiday set the early pace, but it was Jayson Tatum who shone brightest with 31 points, 11 assists, and 8 rebounds in his finest performance of the series.
Derrick White added 14 points and 8 rebounds, shooting 4-for-8 from beyond the arc to thwart several Mavericks’ runs. Jaylen Brown was named Finals MVP.