Celtics Coach Joe Mazzulla Breaks Silence on Shocking Timeout Decision That Sealed Their Fate

When the clock was winding down in Game 2, the Boston Celtics faced a critical crossroad — and Joe Mazzulla’s decision not to call his final timeout left a lot of eyes wide open. Down by a single point with just over a dozen seconds left, instead of halting the action and setting up a fresh inbounds play, Mazzulla let the Celtics push forward. The result? A costly turnover, courtesy of Mikal Bridges, that sealed the game for the Knicks. It’s the kind of moment where you wonder: what was running through the coach’s mind? Well, Mazzulla’s explanation sheds light on a strategy intertwined with chess-like anticipation — trying to foil New York’s substitution patterns and sticking to a play that previously brought success. Yet, playoff basketball is as much about instinct as it is about planning, and sometimes the gut call just misses the mark. Now trailing 0-2 and heading into a hostile Madison Square Garden, Boston’s title defense hangs on a razor’s edge, needing to turn this ship around fast. Curious about all the gritty details and the aftermath? LEARN MORE.

The Boston Celtics had one chance to escape their worst nightmare in Game 2 against the New York Knicks. It didn’t work out, and more than a few people had the same question.AdvertisementAs Mazzulla noted, Boston got two of their easiest points of the game when Tatum took the ball on the previous possession and ran it coast-to-coast for a go-ahead dunk.

As Mazzulla noted, Boston got two of their easiest points of the game when Tatum took the ball on the previous possession and ran it coast-to-coast for a go-ahead dunk.

NBA head coaches will almost always call a timeout in those situations so they can draw up an inbounds play and not have to worry about moving the ball from the opposite play. However, Mazzulla had a solid explanation after the game:Basically, Mazzulla didn’t want to allow the Knicks to sub out Brunson, a superlative offensive player who has never been known for his defense, and he figured the Celtics did enough the last time they ran the play they ended up using.Advertisement