It’s tough to get on a coach when his team boasts a 20-6 record and leads the Eastern Conference. Boston Celtics fans, however, were quick to rip head coach Joe Mazzulla after his team blew a 17-point lead in the third quarter and dropped a 132-126 overtime decision to the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday, December 19.
After the game, Mazzulla said he loved the looks his team got all night. He said the shots simply didn’t fall. Celtics fans had no problem jumping all over Mazzulla when it was all said and done.
Joe Mazzulla Takes Heat After Celtics Lost to Warriors
The Celtics held a comfortable 87-70 lead in the third quarter on the road against the Warriors. They blew it as Steph Curry led a wild comeback.
Boston misfired on 41 of its 58 3-point attempts in the game. According to Mazzulla, the Celtics also missed 20 layups.
"We missed 20 layups and 41 3s… I thought we got great looks the entire night, just didn't make them."
Joe Mazzula on Celtics giving up 17-point lead vs. Warriors pic.twitter.com/JE6sYC4Qsg
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) December 20, 2023
After the game, Mazzulla was asked if he liked the shot selection and what happened to his team that allowed Golden State to shock the Celtics.
“I did like it,” he said of the shot selection. “We missed 20 layups in that game and 41 threes. They went on their run in the non-Curry minutes. They did a good job of getting offensive rebounds and playing in transition.
“When you play against a team like that, as much as you focus on the star, the margins are important. We lost the least with transition, some offensive rebounds.
“I thought we got great looks the entire night. Just didn’t make ’em.”
Celtics Fans Had a Beef With Mazzulla
While the shooting was poor, Celtics fans turned to Mazzulla in venting their frustration after their sixth loss in 26 games.
The “got great looks” like seemed to irk many, especially after Jayson Tatum rushed a 3-pointer at the end of regulation when the Celtics still had a timeout.
Mazzulla was asked if he considered using that timeout.
“Yeah, I did consider it, but we were on the same page,” he said. “I thought Tatum did a great job of coming to get the ball. He was comfortable with the spacing and the opportunity to play on that.”
Mazzulla has developed a reputation for not calling timeouts in critical situations. Many Celtics fans jumped all over him for not taking the time to set up a play in the waning seconds of regulation.
“Don’t forget that u choose not to use a timeout when the Celts had that final possession of regulation,” one X user posted. “Team was gassed & hadn’t made shots but you decided to just let them throw up a prayer rather then draw something up & give them a quick rest.. That’s becoming a habit of his!”
Another fan echoed that same sentiment, writing, “Tatum 3 to end regulation was horrendous call a timeout and run a play to get a open look how many times do you have to botch a situation before you realise you need a timeout.”
“Call a timeout for once and get your star players to attack the rim and stop shooting so many 3s run a play for once and don’t let them have a free for all,” wrote another.
Yes, the Celtics missed 41 of 58 3-point shots, but with a 17-point lead late in the third quarter, it’s on the coach to veer off the 3-point game plan and attack the basket.
