The Celtics nearly snapped the Bucks’ 10-game winning streak Tuesday, but came up on the losing end in an overtime effort that saw Boston’s backups push Milwaukee’s stars to the limit.
That kind of effort would have made it hard to have a negative takeaway from the loss, but Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla found a way to cast a cloud over the encouraging night.
Mazzulla was asked why Robert Williams III, despite being Boston’s only active starter, came off the bench and played just 13 minutes in the contest. His cringeworthy response, as seen on NBC Sports Boston, did nothing but draw worry from Green Teamers who already had questions about the coach’s rotation.
Reporter: “What was going on with Rob’s minutes tonight?”
Mazzulla: “Nothing.”
Reporter: “Where there any matchups you were looking for?”
Mazzulla: “No.”
Reporter: “He never comes off the bench.”
Mazzulla: “That’s not true.”
Reporter: “Not since he got off the minutes restriction.”
Mazzulla: “Yes.”
Reporter: “So what was the purpose of the change?”
Mazzulla: “Just felt like making it.”
Reporter: “Was bringing him off the bench out of caution?”
Mazzulla: “For what?”
Reporter: “His nagging injuries throughout the season.”
Mazzulla: “No.”
If Celtics fans weren’t worried about Williams’ injuries before, they may be now.
Mazzulla’s refusal to give an answer longer than two words is nothing if not confusing, as the Celtics have been fairly transparent about Williams’ recovery and management since he returned to game action on Dec. 16, 2022.
Boston was without Jayson Tatum (non-COVID illness), Marcus Smart (sprained ankle), Jaylen Brown (facial fracture) and Al Horford (knee soreness) heading into the night, which left Williams as the only remaining starter. Instead, Mazzulla rolled with a starting lineup of Derrick White, Sam Hauser, Grant Williams, Mike Muscala and Blake Griffin.
The Celtics seem to have a very clear plan in place as they approach the NBA All-Star break, which could help explain Robert Williams’ confusing status from Tuesday. There just doesn’t seem to be much sense in having Mazzulla refuse to provide context.
