The Celtics are back in the NBA Finals for the second time in three years.
It was an expected result at the start of the playoffs considering the strength of their roster as well as an injury-riddled Eastern Conference. Nonetheless, Boston won the Eastern Conference with a 12-2 record.
The Celtics swept the Pacers, but it was anything but a cakewalk. Indiana couldn't close out three of the four games in which they had a lead late.
Pacers simply couldn't close
— LegendOfWinning (@LegendOfWinning) May 28, 2024
Game 1: 5 point lead with 1:43 left
Game 3: 8 point lead with 2:38 left
Game 4: 4 point lead with 3:33 left
Pacers lost all 3 of them
A ticket to the NBA Finals isn't the only hardware the Celtics earned Monday night, however. The NBA awarded the Larry Bird Trophy to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP.
The Sporting News reveals who won the award and more regarding the Celtics below.
MORE: How many championships have the Boston Celtics won?
Who won Eastern Conference Finals MVP?
Jaylen Brown is the 2024 recipient of the Larry Bird Trophy, which is awarded to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP. Earning the honor caught 27-year-old wing by surprise, as he explained after the trophy presentation.
"I wasn't expecting it at all," he said. "I don't ever win s—. I was just happy we won."
"I wasn't expecting it at all. I don't ever win s***. I was just happy we won."
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 28, 2024
Jaylen Brown on being surprised about winning MVP pic.twitter.com/EwjNWo1gpq
Brown has mostly been considered the No. 2 option behind Jayson Tatum, but he outperformed his teammate according to the voters. Brown received five out of nine votes, while Tatum received the remaining four.
Jaylen Brown received five of the nine votes for Eastern Conference Finals MVP from a media panel covering the series. pic.twitter.com/6wA7h3WD1n
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) May 28, 2024
The two Celtics stars each have a Eastern Conference Finals MVP to their name. Brown won it in 2024, and Tatum won it in 2022.
MORE: How many teams have overcome a 3-0 deficit?
Jaylen Brown vs. Jayson Tatum Eastern Conference Finals stats
While Brown won the Larry Bird Trophy, it didn't come without some controversy. One could argue that Tatum had better stats through the four-game series.
| PPG | RPG | APG | SPG | BPG | FG% | 3-PT% | FT% | |
| Jayson Tatum | 30.3 | 10.3 | 6.3 | 1.3 | 0.5 | 46.3% | 30.6% | 78.6% |
| Jaylen Brown | 29.8 | 5.0 | 3.0 | 2.0 | 0.8 | 51.7% | 37.0% | 65.5% |
Why is the Eastern Conference Finals MVP called the Larry Bird Trophy?
The NBA Finals MVP has been around for decades, but the league decided to implement two new awards for the conference finals.
An MVP award would be given to the best player in the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. Just like the NBA Finals MVP is named after Bill Russell, the East and West are named after Larry Bird and Magic Johnson, respectively.
The Larry Bird Trophy is given to the Eastern Conference Finals MVP in honor of Hall of Fame Celtics forward Larry Bird. Bird won three championships and made five Finals in his 13-year career with Boston.
His counterpart, Magic Johnson, won five rings and made nine appearances in 13 seasons with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Western Conference Finals MVP is named after him. The two Hall of Famers battled against each other throughout the 1980s.
Larry Bird Trophy winners
The Larry Bird Trophy was implemented in 2022, so there's only a few winners so far. It's fitting that two of the three awarded are Boston Celtics.
| Player | Team | Year |
| Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | 2022 |
| Jimmy Butler | Miami Heat | 2023 |
| Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | 2024 |
