Two years after losing to the Warriors, the Celtics are champs.
It seems that losing to the Golden State Warriors is the piece of educational material, or perhaps the motivational element that NBA teams need to get over the edge. When the Dubs began their dynasty by beating the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals, the Cavs returned the favor by exacting their revenge one year later.
Now it’s the Boston Celtics’ turn. Two years after the Warriors earned the fourth title in their historic run by beating the Celtics 4-2 in the 2022 NBA Finals, Boston has finally made it over the hurdle. After beating the Dallas Mavericks 106-88 on Monday night to win the series 4-1, the Celtics earned the 18th championship in franchise history, and the first since 2008 when they were led by Paul Pierce, Kevin Garnett, and Ray Allen. The NBA Finals MVP honors were awarded to Cal alum Jaylen Brown.
Is it something magical about losing to the Warriors? After all, last year’s champion — the Denver Nuggets — was eliminated by the Warriors the year prior. The Warriors may no longer be a dynasty, and they may be fighting an uphill battle to return to contention, but it does seem they’re still the elder statesmen in some form or fashion.
With the 2023-24 NBA season now concluded, it’s officially time to turn to the offseason. It’s a busy one for the Warriors. They’ve got personnel moves abounding to make decisions on, and a lot of work to be done to return to the top of the mountain. And if they get there? Well, now the road goes through Boston.