Mazzulla’s terse comments suggest Celtics are locked in for Game 5

Mazzulla’s terse comments suggest Celtics are locked in for Game 5 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston

After the Celtics’ blowout loss to the Mavericks in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals, Mavs head coach Jason Kidd noted Boston entered the game “ready to celebrate” while Dallas was more focused on the task at hand.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla seems intent on making sure that doesn’t happen again.

When asked Sunday what it would mean to him to join a “special fraternity” of coaches to win a championship in Boston, especially at such a young age — at 35, Mazzulla would be the youngest head coach to win a title since Celtics player/coach Bill Russell in 1969 — Mazzulla made a hard pivot to the present.

“That will never happen if you don’t run back on defense, rebound, execute and get to your spacing,” Mazzulla responded. “That’s the most important thing.”

Joe Mazzulla gives a blunt response after being asked what it would mean to him to join a list of legendary Celtics coaches to win the Finals:

“That’ll never happen if you don’t run back on defense, rebound, execute and get to your spacing” pic.twitter.com/Q9G87NHzXF

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 16, 2024

The Celtics fell short in essentially all of those areas Friday night in Dallas, where the Mavs outrebounded them 52-31 and poured in 122 points, the most Boston has allowed in regulation this postseason.

The good news for C’s fans? Mazzulla’s club has a track record of bouncing back from ugly losses.

Boston was a perfect 3-0 during the regular season following games it lost by more than 15 points, with an average margin of victory of 16 points in those contests. This postseason, the Celtics followed their 10-point loss to the Miami Heat in the first round with a 20-point win in Game 3, then followed their 24-point second-round loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers with a 13-point victory in Game 3.

If history repeats itself Monday night in Game 5 at TD Garden, the Celtics will be NBA champions. But Mazzulla’s players are taking a page from their head coach’s book and doing their best to stay in the moment.

“You can’t take it for granted. It’s…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/mazzullas-terse-comments-suggest-celtics-125221108.html

Author : NBC Sports Boston

Publish date : 2024-06-17 12:52:21

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