The Boston Celtics faced a disappointing defeat at the hands of the Chicago Bulls. Following the 117-108 loss, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla found himself in a passionate dispute with the referees. Tempers flared in the fourth quarter, culminating in Mazzulla receiving a technical foul.
Entering the final period with a four-point advantage, Boston’s fortunes began to fade as they struggled with shooting. This decline was exacerbated by a disputed jump-ball call that sparked significant frustration on the bench. Mazzulla’s objections toward a jump-ball ruling, which favored Payton Pritchard over Brown, led to technical fouls for both him and Brown.
A subsequent technical foul against Jayson Tatum added to the Celtics’ frustrations as they fought to regain control of the game. The discontent extended across the entire Celtics bench, with Brown openly criticizing the officials and expressing irritation over his own technical foul, stating his disbelief that it was warranted for defending Mazzulla.
— . (@UniteCeltics) December 20, 2024
“I got fined a couple weeks ago for inadvertent gestures that are determined to not be a part of the game, which was fine. I took the fine. But what part of the game is a ref calling an inadvertent technical foul?” Brown expressed.
The events changed the game’s momentum, leaving Boston with an eight-point deficit. Nevertheless, both Brown and Mazzulla acknowledged that the responsibility rests with the Celtics to keep their composure.
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Joe Mazzulla Reflects On His Encounter With Referees After Technical Foul
In responding to inquiries about his confrontations with referees, Mazzulla took a lighthearted approach instead of expressing frustration. During the postgame press conference, he jokingly remarked that he was simply spreading holiday cheer by wishing the referees a Merry Christmas, although his actions suggested a deeper dissatisfaction.
Despite the evident frustration and emotional strain of the game, Mazzulla acknowledged that he deserved the technical foul he received for stepping onto the court in response to a controversial jump-ball ruling.
“I just hadn’t seen them in a while. So, just a Merry Christmas Happy Holidays. I wasn’t sure I was going to see them before the holiday, and you just can’t let a moment go by to where you wish someone just the best to them and theirs and their families,” Mazzulla explained after the game.
Joe Mazzulla on what he said to the refs at the end of the game
“I just haven’t seen them in a while, so just a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday” pic.twitter.com/VgQZRgflX1
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) December 20, 2024
However, throughout the game, Mazzulla needed to be calmed down multiple times by his assistant coaches, Sam Cassell and Tony Dobbins, along with another staff member. The most notable instance occurred after the final buzzer when Mazzulla stepped onto the court again to express his discontent to officiating crew member Tony Brothers. Apart from Tatum and Brown, Kristaps Porzingis also publicly supported Mazzulla’s passionate leadership.
Image Source: Joe Mazzulla @ Instagram
