Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla explains why he tried to block Royce O’Neale’s shot

The 35-year-old head coach had the most Boston reasoning possible

With their 127-112 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night, the Boston Celtics became the first club to secure a postseason spot this season and extended their winning run to four games. Ultimately, though, it was a defensive play by their head coach, Joe Mazzulla, that got everyone talking.

Jaylen Brown stole a pass from Grayson Allen late in the fourth quarter, putting the cherry on top of the victory and forcing a timeout. Suns forward Royce O’Neale attempted a 3-point shot as both teams were making their way to their benches, as players frequently do when the whistle blows.

Mazzulla would have none of it. He launched a forceful challenge at O’Neale, whose attempt was unsuccessful.

After the match, Mazzulla gave an explanation of his defensive play:

“I saw a guy going in to try to get a shot and he hadn’t made one and I didn’t want him to feel good about himself going to the bench,” Mazzulla explained. “That’s a bench rule, and [Boston Globe journalist] Gary Washburn questioned me about it a month ago. Guys don’t take shots in front of our bench in order to feel good about themselves and return to their bench. The staff must participate in the contest if I ask the boys to do so.

“In the end, it all comes down to our perspective and strategy, as long as it stays within the parameters of the match. It’s simply a matter of establishing a tone.

The idea that a guy will receive a free shot is one of my biggest pet peeves since that isn’t how things work. We hold our employees to the same standards that we hold our team to. We’ve missed it occasionally, and I’ve held the staff members responsible for it. We just need to try our hardest to avoid doing it.”

It is not unusual for players to block their opponents’ shots when the ball is dead. Kevin Garnett, the former star of the Celtics, was so determined to do so that he posted a highlight film of his blocks on YouTube just after the whistle went.

But a coach entering the fray—now that’s noteworthy.

“Joe just being Joe,” stated Jayson Tatum. “Joe is that person. He didn’t surprise me when he did it. He or one of the coaches should do that, in my opinion. Joe is worth loving for Joe.”

The Celtics are 52-14 and six games ahead of everyone else in the league in large part because they have the best defense in the league this year, giving up just 110.4 points per 100 possessions. More power to Mazzulla if his antics help them remain locked in and preserve that form.