The Celtics were back home in Game 5, and they completely dominated the Mavericks 106-88. Everyone on the team stepped up. The Celtics are now your NBA Champions.
By leading the Boston Celtics to an NBA-leading 18th championship, head coach Joe Mazzulla etched his name into the league's history books.
Mazzulla, 35, is the fifth-youngest head coach to win a championship since the BAA merged with the NBL to become the NBA in 1950. He is the youngest since the legendary Bill Russell, who won the title as a 34-year-old player-coach in 1968.
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Mazzulla accomplished the feat in just his second season as a head coach. The Rhode Island native unexpectedly was called upon to replace Ime Udoka as Boston's interim coach to start the 2022-23 campaign. On Feb. 16, 2023, he was officially hired as the 19th head coach in Celtics history.
The Celtics have gone 121-43 in the regular season with Mazzulla leading the charge, including a league-best 64-18 record in the 2023-24 campaign. They're 27-12 under Mazzulla in the playoffs after going 16-3 during their championship run.
Mazzulla is younger than a number of active NBA players, including one of his own in veteran big man Al Horford (38). He'll turn 36 on June 30.
