The Boston Celtics beat the Dallas Mavericks 106-99 on Wednesday, putting them on the brink of a sweep of the 2024 NBA Finals. The win puts the Celtics on an elite list, as only nine other teams have hoisted the Larry O'Brien Trophy with a 4-0 record.
Coincidentally, the Celtics were the first franchise to win a championship, defeating the Los Angeles Lakers in 1959. The Lakers are now tied with the Celtics for the most NBA trophies with 17. The 1959 trophy was the Celtics' second championship and the first of eight consecutive championships.
The Mavs are in a tough spot after Wednesday's game, but history is on the Celtics' side, as they're 156-0 all-time against teams that lead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series.
Boston had only lost two games in the playoffs so far, and they came into the Finals well-rested after sweeping the Indiana Pacers. The Celtics had to play most of the playoffs without key player Kristaps Porzingis, Luka Doncic's former teammate, due to injury. But Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown combined for 61 points on Wednesday, showing they could handle Dallas even without Porzingis. The Mavs were very competitive, but struggled to close out the game after Doncic fouled out with about four minutes left.
So the Celtics were within 48 minutes of completing the sweep and potentially winning their 18th championship in franchise history. But 4-0 isn't easy to achieve, and the team that did it needed more than a little luck. The 1959 Celtics roster that did it featured five Hall of Famers: Bob Cousy, Bill Russell, Bill Sharman, Tom Heinsohn and Frank Ramsey.
The last time a Finals sweep happened was six years ago, when the Golden State Warriors were the hottest team in the league and took down the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James. The Warriors did it with a roster that featured Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green playing their best games. The 2018 title was their third in four years.
The second most recent team to go 4-0 in the Finals was Gregg Popovich's San Antonio Spurs, who swept the Cavs to win the championship in 2007. It was their second championship in three years, and that team featured Tim Duncan, Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker.
And what about 2002? The Lakers won their third consecutive championship, completing a sweep of the Brooklyn Nets with the help of star duo Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O'Neal.
Below is a complete list of teams that have completed a sweep in NBA Finals history.
- 2018 – Warriors beat Cavaliers
- 2007 – Spurs beat Cavaliers
- 2002 – Lakers beat Nets
- 1995 – Rockets beat Magic
- 1989 – Pistons beat Lakers
- 1983 – 76ers beat Lakers
- 1975 – Warriors Over Bullets
- 1971 – Money Beats Bullets
- 1959 – Celtics beat Lakers
