The only thing holding back Joe Mazzulla following the final buzzer in Boston’s surprising loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night was two Celtics assistant coaches.
They had to restrain Mazzulla, who directed a fiery outburst toward officials before walking off the court. Mazzulla was upset about three technical fouls the Celtics received — he was assessed with one of them — in the fourth quarter against the Bulls.
Mazzulla’s tirade resulted in him receiving a hefty $35,000 fine from the NBA on Saturday. Maybe getting hit hard in the wallet drew a similar reaction out of the third-year head coach?
Probably not, according to Celtics point guard Payton Pritchard.
“Joe’s competitive and we all enjoy that aspect of him,” Pritchard told reporters prior to the Celtics squaring off with the Bulls in Chicago, per CLNS Media’s Noa Dalzell. “Very competitive. He wants to win every moment, every game, every day and he instills that in all of us. So, I’m sure he didn’t mind taking the fine.”
Story continues below advertisement
Mazzulla usually has a reason behind all his actions. So, maybe him taking it a step further following the game served as a wake-up call for his team after an uninspiring performance. He certainly wouldn’t mind his competitive spirit rubbing off on his team. Mazzulla would see that as money well spent.
Mazzulla will have had plenty of time to cool off when the Celtics return to the court Saturday night in a rematch against the Bulls in Chicago. Boston is looking to avoid losing back-to-back games for the first time this season.
Featured image via David Butler II/Imagn Images
