Latest news with #Mazzulla
USA Today
27-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
What went wrong for the Boston Celtics?
What went wrong for the Boston Celtics? Coming into the 2024-25 NBA season, the Boston Celtics were expected to dominate. Joe Mazzulla's team had just won a championship and had made light work of the entire league during the previous regular season. Things didn't play out that way, though. The Celtics struggled to get healthy, with multiple players in and out of the rotation throughout the year, including Kristaps Porzingis, Sam Hauser and Jrue Holiday; three key pieces to the team's championship run. Furthermore, teams appeared to have the Celtics' number. Sure, they still won 61 games, but there were fewer easy wins, with multiple teams figuring out how to keep pace with Boston, rather than letting them run up the score and sit the starters early in the fourth quarter. Those tough games bled into the postseason, too. The Celtics found themselves fighting through highly physical battles with the Orlando Magic and the New York Knicks, respectively. In a recent appearance on 98.5 The Sports Hub, The Athletic's Jared Weiss discussed Boston's season and how the rest of the league has begun to catch up with Mazzulla's brand of basketball. Weiss also discussed Mazzulla's position as head coach and what the team needs to do during the summer as they prepare for a year without Jayson Tatum. You can watch the full episode by clicking on the embedded video above. Watch the "Taylor Talks Celtics" podcast on: YouTube: Website:
USA Today
24-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Is Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla's job in danger?
Is Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla's job in danger? Is Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla's job in danger? Whenever a team with designs on contention falls short of the expected goal, there is always a reckoning over what went wrong to cut a title run shorter than it was supposed to be. And despite the fact that the NBA will have had seven different champions in as many seasons when whoever wins it all does so this season, when a title defense falls short, it has some extra gravity to it. In the case of the Celtics, there is plenty of blame to go around, with much of it on the shoulders of the players themselves, and some that can be attributed to injuries. But a non-negligible part of the blame pie can also be assigned to Mazzulla; is it enough that the team might actually part ways with him? The hosts of the CLNS Media "Garden Report" podcast, Bobby Manning, Noa Dalzell, A. Sherrod Blakely and John Zannis debated this on a recent episode of their show. Take a look at the clip embedded below to hear what they had to say. If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
USA Today
22-05-2025
- Sport
- USA Today
Was the Boston Celtics early exit the fault of coach Joe Mazzulla?
Was the Boston Celtics early exit the fault of coach Joe Mazzulla? Was the Boston Celtics early exit the fault of coach Joe Mazzulla? The Celtics saw their season end in Game 6 of their 2025 NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals second round series against the New York Knicks due to the Knicks being better than expected on both ends of the court compared to the 2024-25 NBA regular season as much as it was caused by a pileup of injuries to Boston's roster. But one can also point to some questionable game management issues that stem from the choices made by Mazzulla as a decent part of why the Celtics were bounced in the second round of the 2025 postseason as well. Were the mistakes made by the Boston coach egregious enough to blame him for the series loss? The hosts of the CLNS Media "Celtics Beat" podcast, Adam Kaufman and Evan Valenti, took some time on a recent episode of their show to talk it over. Check it out below! If you enjoy this pod, check out the "How Bout Them Celtics," "First to the Floor," and the many other New England sports podcasts available on the CLNS Media network:
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
NBA playoffs: After a bruising series vs. Orlando, Boston emerges sharper and with time to heal
BOSTON — Prior to an elimination game in their first-round series against the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla did not want to hear about whatever rest a win would afford his ailing team. "Well, we've got to win Game 5," he said. That they did, dominating Orlando in the second half of a 120-89 victory and winning the series, 4-1. Meanwhile, next round's opponent remains undecided, as the Detroit Pistons defeated the New York Knicks, extending their series to a sixth game slated for Thursday. Tuesday's outcomes afforded the Celtics at least a few days' rest, and that is significant, considering the bruises they collected against the Magic. "It's good and bad," Mazzulla, ever the contrarian, said afterward of the additional rest. "We'll exit the arena for a couple days. That could be good. But I think as we start to get ready for the next series we have to reenter the arena and get ready. We'll take the days we need, and we'll get right back at it." They will need these days. This was as physical a series as there was across the NBA in a first round full of physicality. Jaylen Brown has been battling a right knee injury since mid-March. Jayson Tatum suffered a bone bruise on his shooting wrist from a hard foul in Game 1. And Jrue Holiday missed a third straight game with a right hamstring strain, which Mazzulla described as a "day-to-day" injury moving forward. "It's great," Brown said of the extra rest. "When's the earliest that we'll play?" Nobody knew for certain. "Whatever it is, I'm going to take advantage of that and be ready to go through whoever's next." Go through them. That is how this first-round series against the Magic felt. Despite a lopsided outcome, Orlando gave the Celtics all they could handle from a physicality standpoint. The Magic, whose defense was rated second in the NBA in the regular season, guarded the Celtics straight up, rarely helping, always switching, presenting a ton of 1-on-1 matchups. The game plan required Boston to go through them. That Tatum did Tuesday night, collecting 35 points (on 10-of-16 shooting), 10 assists and eight rebounds in 34 minutes of work. He did the same in Game 4, totaling 37 points, 14 rebounds and three assists. The assists were hard to come by throughout the series. Because the Magic stayed home on Boston's shooters, there were no easy outlets for open 3s. So, instead, Tatum and Brown did their work on an island and did it well. This was another lesson learned for a team that has seen just about everything in six conference finals appearances over the past eight years, including two trips to the Finals and last year's championship. "You could say that," said Brown. "I just look at every experience as an opportunity to learn, so that was a great learning experience for us, to go through a full playoff series, having to be physical, having to get in the trenches. Flagrant fouls, play through it. Physicality, play through it. And still find ways to win. That's one of the challenges people would've said about us before the season: 'Take away the 3-point shooting, play them physical,' and we responded well to that this series. So that's something that we'll continue to build on, but that's great to have in our back pocket. We can take that going forward into the playoffs." As Celtics big man Al Horford said, if we know anything about the Knicks and Pistons, "They're both teams that play really hard." If either team was hoping the Magic would provide a blueprint for winning against the Celtics, too bad, for they believe, if anything, this series was one that made them stronger. "I thought that was the theme of the series — the physicality in the trenches," said Mazzulla. "Every series, every game presents lessons, and you take those lessons if you're fortunate enough to move on. There's a lot that we can learn from this series, and we'll be ready for whoever we play next." Tatum is more than ready. The challenges the Magic presented, he solved them, same as he plans to do to whomever comes next. The confidence to do that comes from the experience of winning last season. "This season was the most relaxed and carefree that I've been in my career, understanding that we won last year, we accomplished the ultimate goal and we kind of got that monkey off our back," said Tatum. "Obviously, the goal is still the same this year, to win and compete for a championship. I've just enjoyed this season of playing carefree basketball and not having that hang over my head. It's been fun to do. "It allows me to focus on the task ahead. I'm not worried about trying to prove anybody wrong or anything like that. It's understanding that I know what I'm capable of. I know what we are when we play a certain way, and we've shown that, so it's all about getting to that level." It is true: This series was not the best of the Celtics. They know who they are, and there is another level for them to reach. Maybe the Knicks or Pistons will bring it out of them in the next round. They will presumably need it against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals. That might be getting ahead of ourselves, but these are the defending champions, and they expect it of themselves. "I don't take none of it for granted," said Brown, who with Tuesday's win tied Celtics legend Tommy Heinsohn's 17 career playoff series victories. "This is my ninth season and eighth playoff run, so I don't take any of it for granted. To be able to be in the midst of some of the most winningest players in this franchise, with a lot of upside still in front of me, I'm very grateful. I'm excited to move onto the next round. I'm excited to keep adding to that legacy. Here in Boston it's about winning. It's not about getting out of the first round. So I'm looking forward to advancing. It's the playoffs. This is what it's all about." But first some well-earned rest.
Yahoo
19-05-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Celtics Make Joe Mazzulla Decision After Loss to Knicks
The Boston Celtics' 2024-25 season, which began with high hopes of defending their NBA championship, concluded in disappointment following a second-round playoff exit against the New York Knicks. Despite a strong 61-win regular season under head coach Joe Mazzulla, the team faced significant challenges in the postseason, including critical injuries and a series of collapses. Notably, Boston lost back-to-back 20-point leads in Games 1 and 2, and ultimately fell in Game 6 after trailing by as many as 41 points. The most devastating blow came in Game 4 when star forward Jayson Tatum suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon, effectively ending the Celtics' hopes. Tatum had been instrumental in the team's success, and his absence was deeply felt. Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0)© Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images Additionally, Jaylen Brown played through a knee injury, while Kristaps Porzingis battled an undiagnosed illness that severely impacted his performance. Other key players, including Jrue Holiday and Sam Hauser, also dealt with injuries, leaving the team compromised. Advertisement In the wake of the season's end, some fans called for the dismissal of Mazzulla as head coach, questioning his ability to lead the team through adversity. However, Celtics president of basketball operations Brad Stevens expressed unwavering support for Mazzulla during his end-of-season press conference, making it clear the team has made the decision to stick with him as head coach. "We're lucky to have Joe," Stevens said. "We're lucky to have the staff we have." Mazzulla's tenure with the Celtics has been marked by significant achievements. After serving as an assistant coach under Ime Udoka, he was promoted to head coach and led the team to their 18th NBA Championship in the 2023-24 season. Advertisement The Celtics face an offseason filled with uncertainty. With Tatum expected to miss the entire 2025-26 season due to his injury, the team may need to consider roster adjustments and financial strategies to remain competitive. Related: Nuggets' Aaron Gordon Had Words for Steph Curry and Jayson Tatum on Sunday Related: Celtics' Jrue Holiday Breaks Silence on NBA Future After Trade Report
