NEW YORK — Joe Mazzulla, the head coach of the Boston Celtics, found himself on the wrong side of the NBA’s disciplinary regulations, receiving a hefty $35,000 fine on Saturday. This penalty was imposed due to Mazzulla’s aggressive behavior and inappropriate remarks directed at a game official following his team’s defeat against the Chicago Bulls on Thursday evening.
The incident occurred amidst a tumultuous fourth quarter where the Celtics received three technical fouls: one assessed to Mazzulla himself, another to Jaylen Brown, and the third to Jayson Tatum. This sequence contributed to their 117-108 loss. As the game concluded, Mazzulla was seen exchanging heated comments with referee Justin Van Duyne.
In his postgame remarks, Mazzulla tried to downplay the situation, claiming he merely intended to share festive wishes with the officiating crew. “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,” he stated. The coach added that he felt it was important to take a moment to send good wishes to those officiating.
However, footage from the incident contradicted his explanation, showing little evidence of any holiday cheer being exchanged. Referee Tony Brothers, the crew chief, provided clarification after the match, revealing that Jaylen Brown earned his technical for questioning the referee’s credibility, while Tatum’s was due to “an overt action towards an official.”
In response to the situation, Brown defended both himself and Mazzulla, claiming that the officials had unfairly called the technicals. He insisted that Mazzulla’s remarks did not warrant such a penalty, asserting, “You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul.”
The Celtics are undoubtedly hoping to move forward from this incident as they continue to compete in the NBA season.
