Boston Celtics head coach has a knack for the passionate. He famously quipped there’s “no such thing as too intense” last season, and more recently shared he’s not interested in making friends while on the job. He believes playing with an edge can be a competitive advantage.
This dynamic extends to his star players, namely Jayson Tatum. In recent years, Tatum has had a knack for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, something Mazzulla has praised in the past. That much was true Friday night during Boston’s win over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers. Tatum earned an ejection in the third period after an offensive foul and subsequent conversation with the referees. And although the Celtics went on to win the game despite losing their best player prematurely, it was a point of conversation afterward. Mazzulla seemed unmoved when asked how he responded postgame with Tatum.
“I smiled, gave him a hug,” Mazzulla said. “Laughed it off.”
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The play in question came late in a third period. Tatum took issue with an offensive foul call, and after a frank exchange of words with the refs, he was issued his second technical of the night and promptly ejected from the game.
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For Mazzulla, this energy is crucial. As the coach explained, it belies a care and concern from Tatum, something he admires.
“I like some of that,” Mazzulla said. “I think some of that is important.”
Mazzulla conceded there are times where too much emotion can be a hindrance for a player or a team. Tatum echoed those sentiments during his own postgame comments as well.
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“I think that type of passion and caring about it – I’d rather see that than nothing at all” Mazzulla added.
This was Tatum’s second career ejection, and the All-Star forward is now tied for third in the NBA with four technical fouls on the year. For what it’s worth, Tatum’s teammate Kristaps Porzingis leads the league with 8 technicals this the season. All the same, Mazzulla isn’t too worried.
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“Sometimes pick and choose your spots,” Mazzulla said. “But I’m not going to say anything to him.”
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