The Dallas Mavericks' hopes for an NBA title this year came to an end last night in Boston.

Why it matters: The Mavericks were up against one of best NBA teams in recent years.

• We can harbor pain, or we can find hope.

Catch up quick: The Celtics dominated the finals, only losing Game 4 in Dallas. This is their first championship in 16 years.

• The Mavericks were also hungry for their second championship after a 13-year drought, but often faced large scoring deficits against the Celtics. They lost 106-88 in Game 5 last night.

Reality check: Dallas overcame a lot this year. Rookie Dereck Lively II's mom died of cancer. Luka Dončić played through injuries. Kyrie Irving endured the loud boos of his former team's fans.

• But Irving and Dončić became "LuKai," one of the best pairings in the NBA.
• The Mavs took a chance on PJ Washington, Daniel Gafford and Derrick Jones Jr. this season, who took on key roles within just months of joining the team.
• They were a fifth seed and beat the Clippers, then the Thunder, then the Timberwolves — repeatedly pulling off dramatic wins.

The bottom line: A relatively young team made it to the NBA Finals, surprising many people. The Mavs have every reason to believe they can make another deep run next year.

• "Tribe, stay together no matter what. Through the ups and downs, wins and losses, success and failure. Keep your head up high," Irving wrote on X after last night's loss.

Eighty-five years ago this week, Opal Lee's family home in Fort Worth was terrorized by a racist mob. Her family had to relocate to another home a few blocks away.

• At 97, Lee has returned home.

Why it matters: Lee is a civil rights icon and a driving force behind the creation of the Juneteenth federal holiday.

• Grapevine-based HistoryMaker Homes and Dallas-based Texas Capital worked with Trinity Habitat for Humanity to build Lee a new house on the same lot her family was forced to abandon in 1939.

Driving the news: The house was completed within three months, in time for Juneteenth.

• Lee, who was living elsewhere in Fort Worth, received the house keys on Friday.

The intrigue: The house is 1,300 square feet with three bedrooms, along with a built-in study.

• Texas Capital, HistoryMaker Homes and their vendors helped pay for the house and its furnishings, which Lee selected.
• Some Lee family mementos are embedded into the concrete of the house. They include a dress that belonged to Lee's mother.
• Volunteers stocked the fridge and pantry just days before Lee moved in.

What she's saying: "I don't know how to describe it. It's wonderful, like a bit of heaven," she told Axios on Friday, rocking in a chair on her new porch.

The bottom line: "Give people their roses while they can still smell them," said Renee Toliver, a Fort Worth judge and Lee's granddaughter.

• "We wanted her to know how much she was loved."

What's next: Lee plans to invite her friends and neighbors to a housewarming party at the new house.

Opal Lee's toothbrush

Opal Lee wants Americans to commemorate Juneteenth long after she's gone.

• She's working with local and national civil rights advocates to open a National Juneteenth Museum in Fort Worth in 2026.

The big picture: Located in Fort Worth's Southside Historic District, the 50,000-square-foot museum will include an amphitheater and food hall. It will host guest lectures, community events and performances.

• Museum officials tell Axios they have raised half of the $70 million they need.

The latest: Trinity Habitat for Humanity plans to build 100 homes over the next five years in Lee's honor, Trinity Habitat CEO Gage Yager announced at Lee's homecoming last week.

• Companies, organizations and individuals will be able to sponsor the homes for $180,000 as a "Dr. Opal Lee Legacy Builder."
• Ten percent of the sponsorship money will be donated to the National Juneteenth Museum project. Texas Capital, which helped build Lee's new house, has offered to be the first sponsor.
• Lee gasped, then smiled when she heard the news on Friday.

Flashback: The Southside neighborhood, a historically underserved part of Fort Worth, highlights the inequities that many predominantly Black neighborhoods across the country have endured.

• The construction of Interstate 35W in the 1960s divided Fort Worth's neighborhoods, leading to neglect and divestment.

Zoom out: Several museums dedicated to African American history touch on Juneteenth. But the National Juneteenth Museum will focus on the holiday, with "stories of freedom of the enslaved to modern-day liberation."

What's next: The group building the museum is still accepting donations.

⚖️ The Texas Supreme Court declined to review a Denton IVF case over whether embryos are people. (KERA)

🏢 The city of Sachse is in the process of developing its own downtown with retail, restaurants and housing. (Dallas Business Journal)

❌ 131 college scholarships were put on hold or modified because of Texas' ban on DEI programs at universities. (DMN)

This week's taco adventure takes us back to our favorite bar in Dallas.

• Ayahuasca was rightfully named on Esquire's 2024 list of the best bars in the country.

What to order: Flautas — hibiscus flower and goat cheese in corn tortilla-rolled tacos. Topped with pistachio.

Where: Ayahuasca Cantina, 334 Jefferson Blvd.

Cost: $15

Six-word review: Flowers more flavorful than any meat.

🤔 Know a great taco we should try? Hit reply and let us know.