Basketball games can be decided by the smallest of margins. A shot here, a shot there, or an inch to the left or right could be the difference between winning or losing. For head coach Joe Mazzulla, everything matters.
With the Celtics comfortably ahead 124-106 after a steal and emphatic slam by Jaylen Brown, Suns head coach Frank Vogel called a timeout and waved the 18-point white flag with just under three minutes to play .
But for Mazzulla, that wasn’t enough. As the teams headed to the bench, Royce O’Neale got up thirty feet on the dead ball. Instinctively, Mazzulla entered the competition.
“I saw a guy trying to make a shot and he didn’t make one and I didn’t want him to feel good about himself going to the bench,” Mazzulla deadpanned after the game. “It’s the rule of the bench: guys don’t shoot in front of our bench to go back to their bench and feel good about themselves. If I ask the guys to compete, the staff will do the same.
O’Neale had been 0 for 7 up to that point and Mazzulla wanted to keep it that way whether it counted or not.
Assistant coach Sam Cassell played in Boston with a guy who felt the same way: Kevin Garnett. KG was the first player I remember blocking shots after the whistle so opponents couldn’t keep up.
“I think it’s important. I think it’s a small detail of the game. It’s a bit of a game. You can’t let guys go to the bench feeling good about themselves,” Mazzulla added.
Mazzulla’s obsession and competitive edge come as no surprise to his players. It’s contagious. At the end of the play, you can see Derrick White get a piece of the ball at the rim.
“That’s who Joe is. When he did, I wasn’t caught off guard. I expect him or one of the coaches to do it,” Jayson Tatum said. “You gotta love Joe for Joe.”
