Celtics teach Joe Mazzulla is dedicated to defense. So a whole lot so that he tried to block a Phoenix Suns player’s shot after the whistle on Thursday
After a Jaylen Brown dunk gave Boston an 18-point lead with 2:58 to go, Phoenix called timeout to wave the white flag and pull their starters. Royce O’Neale, who was once zero for 7 and heading to the bench, put up a shot after the timeout used to be called. And Mazzulla, a former West Virginia guard, leaped to contest the meaningless shot.
Mazzulla defined that due to the fact he asks the players no longer to let a player see a shot go in, even when the ball is dead, he and his group of workers want to be willing to do that as well.
While it is uncommon to see an NBA head educate get concerned in on-court action like this, it is no longer at all surprising to see any individual from the Boston Celtics do it. Denying all post-whistle shots used to be a trademark of former Celtic Kevin Garnett, who made it a personal mission to block or goaltend any and all shots after the whistle.
Mazzulla may no longer have been the participant Garnett was, however he has similar intensity. Last year, Mazzulla neglected two video games with an eye harm suffered when a pickup game at TD Garden acquired rough.
One would wager he does not tolerate pictures after the whistle in these games either.
Joe Mazzulla playing defense 🤣 pic.twitter.com/RAZ8qyI2Gd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) March 15, 2024