Joe Mazzulla has come under consistent fire this season due to his reluctance to call timeouts in pivotal moments, but the Boston Celtics first-year head coach continued to stick to the same script in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat at TD Garden on Wednesday night.
During a third-quarter implosion in which the Celtics saw their once 12-point lead disappear in a less than three minutes and the Heat then running out to a 12-point lead themselves entering the fourth quarter, Mazzulla was outclassed by Miami head coach Erik Spoelstra. Spoelstra, widely considered the best in the league, made the necessary defensive adjustments to the Jayson Tatum-led offense all while imploring the Heat to play with more intensity and physicality.
Mazzulla, on the other hand, didn’t do much to stop the surge as Boston “let go of the rope,” as he put it. His one timeout midway through the quarter was sandwiched between two Miami runs. He defended the decision by explaining how he used two first-quarter timeouts.
Regardless, it played a major role in the Heat earning a win in Game 1. That wasn’t lost on NBA fans either, who lit into Mazzulla for not using timeouts and for failing to adjust. Miami outscored Boston 46-25 in the 12-minute span.
Mazzulla was asked about going up against Spoelstra prior to the series and didn’t want to make it personal. It’s the Celtics against the Heat, Mazzulla expressed. But his Celtics now are staring at a one-game deficit, and it’s clear many believe Mazzulla’s decision-making played a key role.
The Celtics return to TD Garden for Game 2 on Friday night with a chance to even the best-of-seven before it shifts to South Beach. Tip off is scheduled for 8:30 p.m. ET.
