Jaylen Brown found Derrick White for a game-winning three-pointer with 45 seconds remaining, giving the Celtics a 105-102 victory. They have advanced to the NBA Finals for the second time in three seasons.

“It’s been nothing but a grind, we haven’t skipped any steps all season,” said Brown.

“We’ve got a bunch of great guys in this locker room, tough guys. Our coaching staff has been great, front office great and now we want to take the next step.”

Brown scored 29 points, while Jayson Tatum added 26 points, 13 rebounds, and eight assists as the Celtics won the series 4-0.

“Look at all the talent, look at the players we have,” said Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

“It’s really all about them, they let us coach them. They allow us to push them, they listen to us and they set the temperature of the organisation every single day.

“As a coach, the greatest gift you can have is a group of guys that trust you and allow you to coach them.”

 

Boston, which will compete in the NBA Finals for the 23rd time in franchise history, has swept through their postseason opponents, defeating the Miami Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Pacers with a 12-2 record. They’ll meet either the Dallas Mavericks or the Minnesota Timberwolves in the finals. Dallas lead 3-0 in the best-of-seven series as they prepare to host Minnesota in game four at 01:30 BST on Wednesday.