Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla Explains Dejounte Murray Encounter In Game 2 Win

BOSTON — The Celtics once again bested the Hawks, taking a 2-0 series lead Tuesday night, but weren’t able to avoid some trash talk from Atlanta guard Dejounte Murray.

While the Hawks put forth a strong, yet inefficient effort of chucking up 3-pointers in an attempt of matching a superior Celtics offense, Murray served as Atlanta’s lone glimmer of hope.

Murray scored a team-leading 29 points while shooting 11-of-24 from the field and even knocked down a game-leading seven 3-pointers, an area in which he doesn’t typically shoot well from. But despite playing catch-up most of the night alongside the rest of the Hawks, Murray tried his best to dish out some psychological warfare toward Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

But… it came to no avail.

“He was talking to me. Just asked how my day was going.” Mazzulla jokingly said.

Mazzulla couldn’t care less for Murray’s antics, instead crediting the 26-year-old for an elite postseason performance.

“He’s a great kid, he’s a great guy,” Mazzulla said. “I’ve gotten to know him just through a lot of the people from the Spurs organization. And he’s putting on a hell of a show.”

Murray, who heads back to his home court in Atlanta with the task of overcoming an 0-2 deficit, deflected the verbal jabs thrown toward Boston’s bench.

“Nothing there, nothing there,” Murray said “Just competing. Know a bunch of guys over there and that’s it, that’s all. Nothing big.”

Both sides will meet once again in Game 3 on Friday night.