The Boston Celtics suffered an upsetting loss to the Chicago Bulls. After the frustrating 117-108 defeat, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla found himself embroiled in a heated confrontation with the referees. As emotions ran high during the fourth quarter, Mazzulla’s heated exchange with officials led to a technical foul.
After entering the final frame with a four-point lead, Boston’s chances began to dwindle amid a shooting slump. It soon led to a controversial jump-ball call that ignited tempers on the bench. Mazzulla’s protest for a jump-ball decision that favored Payton Pritchard over Brown sparked technical fouls against both him and Brown.
While a subsequent technical on Jayson Tatum only intensified the Celtics’ frustrations as they attempted to regain control of the game. However, an apparent displeasure was expressed from the entire Celtics bench. Brown openly criticized the officials and went on to show his annoyance. He expressed his disbelief that he received a technical for stating that Mazzulla did not deserve this.
— . (@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 said.
The incident soon shifted the momentum and led to an eight-point deficit for Boston. Despite their frustrations, Brown and Mazzulla recognized that the midground rests on the Celtics to maintain composure.
Click on ‘Follow Us’ and get notified of the most viral NBA stories via Google! Follow Us
Joe Mazzulla Explains His Reaction To Referees Following Technical Foul
When asked about his heated exchanges on the court, Mazzulla opted for humor rather than showing frustration for the ordeal. In the postgame press conference, Mazzulla humorously claimed he was merely attempting to spread some holiday cheer by wishing the referees a Merry Christmas, but his actions conveyed a much louder message of discontent.
Despite the visible frustration and the emotional toll of the game, Mazzulla admitted that he warranted the technical foul he received for stepping onto the court in reaction to a controversial jump-ball decision.
“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 said after the game.
Joe Mazzulla on what he said to the refs at the end of the game
— Ian Inangelo (@iinangelo) December 20, 2024
“I just haven’t seen them in a while, so just a Merry Christmas and Happy Holiday” pic.twitter.com/VgQZRgflX1
However, during the game, Mazzulla had to be restrained multiple times by his assistant coaches, Sam Cassell and Tony Dobbins, as well as another staff member. The most notable incident occurred after the final buzzer when Mazzulla walked onto the court to continue voicing his frustrations to officiating crew member Tony Brothers. Other than Tatum and Brown, Kristaps Porzingis also expressed appreciation for Mazzulla’s fiery leadership.
