What Joe Mazzulla Told Celtics After Second-Round Series Win

Sign In
It wasn’t a particularly exciting or impressive win, but the Celtics took care of business Wednesday night at TD Garden.
Boston secured its third straight win over the Cleveland Cavaliers and thus claimed the second-round NBA playoff series between the Eastern Conference foes. On a night when Jaylen Brown cooled off a bit, Al Horford stepped up and led by example on both ends of the floor.
Horford received a shoutout from Joe Mazzulla after the Celtics clinched a spot in the Eastern Conference finals. But as the head coach explained in his postgame team address, Game 5 featured a full-team effort from the C’s.
More Celtics
Al Horford’s Sister Strongly Calls Out ‘Hater’ Draymond Green
by Adam London
2 Min Read
Celtics’ Jayson Tatum Makes Playoff Promise To Charles Barkley
by Adam London
2 Min Read
Draymond Green Dishes Harsh Truth To Celtics After Series Win
by Adam London
2 Min Read
“It started with Al — inspired us on the defensive end,” Mazzulla said, per a team-provided video. “And then it started with everybody trusting him. We all made winning plays. JB (Brown) and JT’s (Jayson Tatum) defensiveness. Jrue (Holiday), Derrick (White), Al, Payton (Pritchard) — everybody that went in the game made winning plays. Tonight showed what we can be.”
The Celtics now must keep their foot off the gas and not veer into complacency against its conference finals opponent, whether it be the Indiana Pacers or the New York Knicks. Neither side figures to give Boston too tough of a challenge, but Green Teamers seem to have a preference for the Celtics’ next foe.
The C’s will host Jalen Brunson and company Sunday if they defeat the Pacers in Friday’s Game 6 in Indiana. Conversely, Boston’s next game will be Tuesday if the Pacers for Game 7.
More Celtics:
Panthers Fire Back At Celtics After Playoff Series Victory Vs. Bruins
Welcome to Billionaire Club Co LLC, your gateway to a brand-new social media experience! Sign up today and dive into over 10,000 fresh daily articles and videos curated just for your enjoyment. Enjoy the ad free experience, unlimited content interactions, and get that coveted blue check verification—all for just $1 a month!
Account Frozen
Your account is frozen. You can still view content but cannot interact with it.
Please go to your settings to update your account status.
Open Profile Settings