Luka Doncic’s first journey to the NBA Finals didn’t lead to his first championship. That stated, the Dallas star most positively left his mark on these playoffs.
Doncic completed the postseason because the NBA’s chief in factors (635), rebounds (208) and assists (178).
He’s solely the second participant in NBA historical past to complete the postseason because the chief in all three of these classes. It additionally occurred final yr — when Denver’s Nikola Jokic pulled off the feat.
“I’m pleased with each man that stepped on the ground, all of the coaches, all of the individuals behind (the scenes),” Doncic stated. “Clearly, we didn’t win the finals, however we did have a hell of a season and I’m pleased with each one in every of them.”
Doncic additionally joined one other very small membership, that being gamers to attain 3,000 factors in a single season. His 28 factors on Monday within the season’s finale, Sport 5 towards the Boston Celtics, gave him 3,005 this season, together with the playoffs.
He turned the eleventh participant to try this. Michael Jordan had 10 such seasons, Wilt Chamberlain had 5 and 9 different gamers — Bob McAdoo, Elgin Baylor, James Harden, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Rick Barry, Shaquille O’Neal and now Doncic — have every carried out it as soon as.
Vacation Historical past
Boston’s Jrue Vacation gained an NBA title in 2021, then gained an Olympic gold medal later that summer season. He’s obtained an opportunity to do it once more.
Vacation and Boston teammate Jayson Tatum shall be a part of USA Basketball’s squad on the Paris Video games, with camp beginning early subsequent month in Las Vegas.
Vacation may very well be the third participant to win an NBA or WNBA title, after which an Olympic or FIBA World Cup gold medal, in the identical calendar yr on a couple of event. Sue Hen did it 3 times and Scottie Pippen did it twice.
Celtics Report
Boston’s 16-3 report in these playoffs represents the Tenth-best postseason mark by a group in NBA historical past.
The highest of that record: Golden State was 16-1 in 2017, the Los Angeles Lakers have been 15-1 in 2001 and Philadelphia was 12-1 in 1983.
Additionally forward of Boston’s run this season: the 1999 San Antonio Spurs, 1991 Chicago Bulls and 1989 Detroit Pistons (all 15-2), the 1971 Milwaukee Bucks and 1982 Lakers (each 12-2) and the 1950 Lakers, then in Minneapolis (11-2).
The earlier finest playoff report in Celtics historical past was 15-3, carried out within the 1986 postseason.
Again On High
Transfer over, Lakers. Boston is again atop the NBA’s all-time record for many titles gained.
The Los Angeles Lakers’ newest championship — within the bubble in 2020 — pulled the franchise right into a tie with the Celtics for probably the most in NBA historical past, 17 apiece.
The Celtics beat the Lakers within the 1963 NBA Finals, giving Boston its sixth title to the Lakers’ 5. And for the following 57 years, the Celtics remained alone atop the record of most championships.
When the 1986 season ended, Boston had 16 titles to L.A.’s 9. The championship depend since is Lakers 8, Celtics 2 — adequate to present the Celtics sole possession of the No. 1 spot once more.
Nonetheless Ready
After 186 playoff video games in his profession, Al Horford is lastly a champion — and eventually off a listing that he most likely didn’t aspire to be a part of.
No energetic participant had appeared in additional playoff video games and not using a championship than Horford, the Celtics’ heart.
Now that he’s off the record, the brand new leaders in playoff video games performed with out profitable their first title but are James Harden (166), Chris Paul (149) and Russell Westbrook (122).
Good Examine
The Celtics’ gamers (and possibly some workers) are going to get a pleasant test for profitable the title.
Boston’s share of the NBA’s playoff pool is $12,059,435. That’s probably the most a group has ever gained from the postseason pile of bonus cash, which was a report $33,657,947 this season.
A few of that will get distributed to every of the 16 playoff groups. Dallas’ share was $5,899,422.
The bonus pool is often cut up in a roundabout way amongst gamers and workers from the playoff groups.
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