“Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics: Thriving Through Turbulence in Their 8-8 Journey”

BOSTON – Jayson Tatum squared off against Onyeka Okongwu. Jaylen Brown moved in to assist his teammate. As referees and security personnel attempted to break apart the Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, Joe Mazzulla repeatedly clapped his hands as he made his way from the sidelines into the fray.

During overtime on Saturday night, near the conclusion of a 119-115 defeat riddled with detrimental mental lapses, Mazzulla appreciated the energy exhibited by his squad. He relished how his team entered the fray, although he did not clarify whether he meant that in a literal or metaphorical sense. He stated that he generally regards displaying such spirit as crucial.

“I was simply thrilled to witness some conflict and drama,” Mazzulla remarked. “I believe that brings us closer together.”

Following the defeat that brought the Celtics to 8-8 in their last 16 contests, Mazzulla expressed his intention to harness the struggle to elevate his team from their ongoing slump. Though Boston’s difficulties have shown no indications of abating, he remarked, “this is the enjoyable part” for him.

“There’s no fear,” Mazzulla commented. “I’m actually more enthusiastic at this point in the season compared to the start.”

Mazzulla believed the Celtics executed one of their “better, spirited, mentally resilient performances” from a competitive perspective, but admitted they squandered the game by failing to perform well in the closing moments. Jrue Holiday took responsibility for the defeat after committing two devastating mistakes late in regulation, yet other players from Boston could have done the same for their respective late-game shortcomings. Tatum missed a free throw with 7.9 seconds left in regulation that would have increased the Celtics’ lead to three points; missed a jump shot at the end of regulation that would have secured the win for his team; failed to snag a vital defensive rebound after Jalen Johnson missed two critical free throws; and rimmed out a 3-pointer that would have tied the game in the final seconds of overtime. Brown was denied on a floater with the Celtics trailing by a point late in overtime, and then committed a poor turnover after retrieving the rebound.

Boston could have potentially secured a victory if any of those moments had unfolded differently. Instead, the team’s drought persisted.

“I suppose my inquiry in such circumstances is, what do you anticipate?” Mazzulla asked. “Do you expect that when you function as a team, it will just unfold favorably every time? I consistently question myself in situations like this. I may use some strong language beforehand, but I think, ‘What the f— do you anticipate?’ Did you expect we were going to have another 65-win season, never making mistakes? Or if you reassemble the same roster and a group of players collaborating, are we going to show vulnerability occasionally? What – not you individually – what do we expect? That’s part of the journey.”

One month into Boston’s most arduous segment of the past two seasons, Mazzulla expressed unwavering support for his locker room. He stated that the Celtics need to rectify the details that have hindered them recently, but asserted they will accomplish just that. He maintained confidence in the character, mindset, and preparation of his team. He expressed having “the greatest trust in how they present themselves.”

“There’s no group of individuals I would rather endure challenges with,” Mazzulla remarked. “So once more, count me in (for weathering this tough period). It doesn’t mean I’m pleased, but this is the mentality regarding how we will approach it.”

Boston had opportunity after opportunity to subdue the Hawks, yet could not capitalize. After establishing an 11-point lead in the first quarter, the Celtics faltered, missing 10 of their first 11 shots in the second quarter. They concluded the period shooting 5 for 21 from the field, including 0 for 8 on 3-point attempts, alongside six turnovers. On their way to one of their most dismal offensive stretches of the season, they mishandled multiple fast breaks, failed to recognize mismatches, and made several bewildering choices.

A back-and-forth exchange one minute into the second quarter epitomized the Celtics’ careless behavior late in the first half. They had a three-on-one opportunity, but Payton Pritchard opted against an open 3-pointer to find Sam Hauser near the low block, who then overshot an alley-oop pass too high for Tatum to finish. Five seconds post-turnover, a steal provided the Celtics with another chance in transition. Hauser passed the ball ahead to Tatum, but the five-time All-Star botched a layup. Instead of dashing back on defense, he lingered near the official to complain until he received a technical foul. Tatum would have compromised the Celtics’ defense had the official permitted the play to continue.

Even after all of the late-game struggles, Mazzulla highlighted the second quarter as a detrimental period for his squad.

“Yes, we had an opportunity to win, and we didn’t capitalize,” Mazzulla stated. “That’s a truth. But we also registered a 15-point quarter in the second because of our spacing, execution, and missed shots. It’s easy to fixate on those final moments, which, while important, require execution that we failed to deliver. Nonetheless, there were numerous plays throughout the game we could improve upon in a tightly contested situation, and the second quarter is another instance of that.”

The Celtics have witnessed some questionable end-of-game execution lately, particularly toward the conclusion of a 120-119 victory over the Pelicans on Jan. 12. Boston managed to avoid the pitfalls during that game, but couldn’t replicate that against the Hawks. Holiday may have been wise to forgo an open layup with about 17 seconds remaining to allow for more time to run off the clock, but he committed a turnover moments later with a poor pass to Brown. Shortly thereafter, Holiday fouled Trae Young near halfcourt while the Celtics led by two points. The manner in which Holiday fouled Young, pulling on his arm, almost gave the impression that Holiday forgot the score and intended to foul deliberately, though he claimed it was not his intent.

“Today was solely about execution,” Holiday remarked. “I believe we had the game secured. I need to make smarter plays. Could have made a better pass to JB, or perhaps if I had maintained possession, we might have had free throws; it would be a different outcome. If I didn’t foul Trae, we’d still be up by two. So this game rests on my shoulders; my execution needs enhancement.”

The Celtics must elevate their execution back to previous standards. While some of their recent troubles have been perplexing, Tatum indicated that these challenges could prove advantageous later in the season.

“You need to accept the positives along with the negatives and comprehend that, further down the line, you may find appreciation for this phase we’re experiencing,” Tatum expressed. “If we remain united, if we keep being a closely bonded group, then we will figure it out collectively. Once we come through this, we’ll feel much better about ourselves. I’m confident we will learn valuable lessons from this and emerge stronger once we get back on track.”

(Photo: Maddie Malhotra/Getty Images)