The Boston Celtics suffered a devastating loss on Monday night, blowing a 30-point lead to the Atlanta Hawks.
This has become a recurring issue for the Celtics in recent years.
However, head coach Joe Mazzulla believes that their late-game execution has actually improved this season, particularly in terms of defense and execution.
"Give JT the ball"
Joe Mazzulla explains his play call for the Celtics on the final possession of regulation and OT pic.twitter.com/N1pgxTGBdt
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) March 29, 2024
Despite the loss, the Celtics have the fewest blown leads in the NBA with 14, with just eight of those leads being blown by 10 points or more.
Mazzulla argued that the criticism surrounding their late-game performance is unfair, as their record in the clutch moments of games is better this year.
The Celtics have a 20-11 record in such situations, ranking fourth in the league.
Mazzulla even got involved in a recent game against the Phoenix Suns, attempting to block a three-point shot after a steal and slam by Jaylen Brown.
He explained that he didn’t want the opposing player to feel good about himself going back to the bench.
The Celtics ended up winning the game.
Fans reacted as follows:
Mazzulla is not the right coach for the Celtics because he belongs to the same generation as his players: woke, defensive, marshmallows, sensitive, softies, and insecure. Need a more mature and experienced coach.
— limousines.ph (@limousinesPH) March 29, 2024
That’s pathetic.
All JT has proven is that he misses in clutch moments over and over. And his call is “Give JT the ball”
Mazz is the reason we aint gonna win a Chip.
— Blazing River (@BlazingRiver) March 29, 2024
Dude clearly don’t coach . And JT sucks at clutch moments
— BIGLEO♌️ (@ItsMe_Chauntice) March 29, 2024
I’m not sure this guys listen to his assistant coaches
Sam cassell would have drawn up a play for porzigins for and easy bucket
You have luxury of jrue and 5th option
You have white s good 3 point shooter but he’s copying ime udoka plays for JT in the clutch— Royal (@Royal39742721) March 29, 2024
Mazzulla has clearly been carried by this super talented Celtics team. He does nothing
— CamThomas Muse (@BrooklynNetstan) March 29, 2024
Imagine you are an nba coach and you have no go to plays to close out a game 😂
— CelticPride🍀🏆 (@Patrickgreen18) March 29, 2024
If your any other team in the league, do you think they know it’s going to Tatum? KP, Brown, White, Jrue…all these guys who can make shots, and you run the same thing EVERY …. DAMN …..TIME. #dobetter
— Charlie Gessner (@cgessner) March 29, 2024
Give someone else a chance to hit a game winner besides Tatum, dude can’t hit clutch shots
— Chris Dring (@ChrisDring27) March 29, 2024
Boston winning off talent .. mazulla is a terrible coach
— OS1 (@os_remo1) March 29, 2024
It's fine to give him the ball, but when the double team comes you have to kick to corners, not force up a contested bad shot
— Drew Hobensack (@drewhobensack) March 29, 2024
Joe draw up a play with White running the offense in clutch!! You will make a drastic change. JT can’t run the offense in clutch because he holds the ball too long!!
— Gel.Kel.😘 (@_JKchronicles) March 29, 2024
and this is why the Celtics will never win close games. How about give the ball to Jaylen brown
— SmellyBucksFan (@SmellyBucksFan) March 29, 2024
you'd think with the amount of unclutch shots JT's thrown he would've had an idea that THAT'S not the right play
— celticsgrunt (@celticsgrunt) March 29, 2024
Give JT the ball and don’t send a single pick for him. No DHO and pass back to him to give him space or a better angle. Everyone just chilling baseline has obviously proved to not be the move man
— regular dude (@PiddlesMcGee) March 29, 2024
love joe but he cant be serious thats not gonna work in in the playoffs. you have a amazing 5 man lineup why not draw up real play instead of just making plays to get ur star player the ball and just let him figure it out.
— zay dormus💫 (@zaydormus23) March 29, 2024
