Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla went after the officials, both during and immediately after Thursday’s 117-108 loss to the visiting Chicago Bulls.
But during the post-game press conference, the reigning NBA champion took his foot off the accelerator. When asked why he chased officials at the final horn, prompting assistant coaches and security guards to restrain Mazzulla, the Rhode Island native offered up some holiday cheer.
“I just hadn’t seen him in a while,” a sarcastic Mazzulla said of his message to an official. “So just a ”Merry Christmas and have a nice holiday.”
“I wasn’t sure if I would see them before the holidays and I just can’t let a moment go by where you don’t wish them, their families and their families well.”
The comments struck a dramatically different tone for Mazzulla, who appeared ready to fight just moments earlier.
Boston led 86–82 before Chicago opened the final period on a 17–4 run to take a 99–90 lead, during which time both Mazzulla and several of his players were whistled for technical fouls.
Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts after being called for a technical foul
Joe Mazzulla is restrained by assistant coach Sam Cassell (right) while responding to a technical foul
The Celtics scored six straight points before consecutive techs were called for Mazzulla and Brown with 5:12 to play after both protested a no-foul call while Brown was looking for a loose ball. Instead, a jump ball was called.
Brown said he approached referee Justin Van Duyne to get an explanation about Mazzulla’s technology, which Brown said was not warranted. Brown was also eventually whistled for a technical foul.
“I said to (Van Duyne), ‘You called a tech for no reason.’ He said, ‘If you say it again, I’m going to call another tech,'” Brown said. ‘You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul, that’s not part of the game. If you want to fine guys for gestures and all that stuff, fine. That’s some bull***.’
Mazzulla said Van Duyne told him his technique was for walking on the field after the jump ball. That was confirmed by a pool report interview with crew chief Tony Brothers, who said Mazzulla’s technology was intended to leave the coach’s box and walk onto the floor.
“The referee has to do his job when I was on the field and that’s it,” Mazzulla said.
The brothers said the technology was Brown’s because “he questioned our integrity multiple times during that same sequence.”
LaVine connected on both subsequent free throws and then hit a 30-foot ball to put Chicago back in front at 104-96. Later in the period, Tatum also received a technical foul, extending the Bulls’ lead to 10.
Mazzulla remained irritated at the end of the match and tried to approach Van Duyne, shouting in his direction. Mazzulla was stopped by two assistant coaches.