Basketball video games could be determined by the smallest of margins. A shot right here, a shot there, or an inch to the left or proper may very well be the distinction between profitable or dropping. For head coach Joe Mazzulla, the whole lot issues.
With the Celtics comfortably forward 124-106 after an emphatic steal and slam from Jaylen Brown, Suns head coach Frank Vogel referred to as a timeout and waved the white flag down 18 factors with just below three minutes to go within the recreation.
However for Mazzulla, that wasn’t sufficient. With the groups heading to the bench, Royce O’Neale pulled up from thirty ft on the lifeless ball. Instinctively, Mazzulla went up for the competition.
“I noticed a man making an attempt to make a shot and he hadn’t made one and I didn’t need him to be ok with himself going to the bench,” Mazzulla deadpanned after the sport. “That’s the bench rule: guys don’t shoot photographs in entrance of our bench to return to their bench to be ok with themselves. If I’m going to ask guys to contest, workers’s going to do the identical.”
O’Neale had been 0-for-7 as much as that time and Mazzulla needed to maintain it that means, whether or not it counted or not.
Assistant coach Sam Cassell performed in Boston with a man that felt the identical means: Kevin Garnett. KG was the primary participant that I can keep in mind blocking photographs after the whistle in order that opponents couldn’t get into rhythm.
“I believe it’s necessary. I believe it’s a small element of the sport. It’s a bit gamesmanship. You’ll be able to’t have guys go to the bench feeling good about themselves,” Mazzulla added.
Mazzulla’s obsession and aggressive edge doesn’t shock his gamers. It’s infectious. On the finish of the play, you possibly can see Derrick White getting a chunk of the ball on the rim.
“That’s who Joe is. When he did it, I wasn’t caught off guard. I count on him or one of many coaches to try this,” Jayson Tatum stated. “You gotta love Joe for Joe.”
