What Joe Mazzulla Told Celtics Before Wild Comeback Vs. Pacers

The Celtics haven’t been truly tested very much in these NBA playoffs, but Boston was pushed against the wall Saturday night in Indiana.

And when it was time to put up or shut up, the Eastern Conference’s No. 1 seed showed why it’s such a tough out.

The Celtics overcame an 18-point deficit at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and claimed a 114-111 win over the Pacers. On a night when it seemed like everything was going to go Indiana’s way, Boston stayed the course, fought hard to keep within striking distance and pounced when the Pacers let go of the rope.

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After the game, Jayson Tatum was asked what allowed the Celtics to turn the game around in crunch time.

“One of those timeouts in the third quarter, Joe (Mazzulla) just kind of told us to stop feeling sorry for ourselves. Whatever situation we’re in, that’s the situation that we’re in. It’s on us to figure it out,” Tatum told reporters, per an NBC Sports Boston video.

“Things weren’t going our way. We weren’t hitting shots at the time. It seemed like they were coming out and scoring every single time. Maybe we were slow to bring the ball up the court. When we get scored on, we might put our head down. It felt like (expletive) wasn’t going our way. Joe always talks about how it’s not always going to go how we want it to or we expect it to. That’s OK. It’s OK to be down 15 or 17 on the road and still have an opportunity to win the game.”

Boston could face a similar situation Monday night when a desperate Indiana team will try to keep its season alive. But Tatum and company seemingly will be ready to handle whatever is thrown their way, and they will be equally motivated to punch a ticket to the NBA Finals.