NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT VS. CELTICS

May 17, 2023

Joe Mazzulla

Boston Celtics

Game 1: Pregame

Q. Joe, for those who weren't here the other day, you said you were going with a big lineup. Can you talk about how you think that change benefits you? And I'm curious because I deal with a coach that takes a different approach. So why did you say that ahead of time when many coaches sit up there and tell us they're still working on their lineup? What's the thought process there announcing your lineup ahead of time?

JOE MAZZULLA: Someone else announced it for me. That's why I said it. I just thought about it in the sense of defensive versatility, a lob threat on the offensive end.

Q. How important is it to play a solid game? In Game 1 against Philly, you guys had some mistakes and let them stay in the game and Harden beat you. How important is it to make a statement, as you did maybe in Game 1 against the Hawks?

JOE MAZZULLA: I think it's just more important to get off to a good start physically, with our physicality, with our execution, with our game plan details. Just have to set the tone. We know it's going to be a battle of that throughout the series.

Q. Jayson, just one three-point attempt in the first half of that Game 7. Throughout this year you've wanted him generating a lot of your three-point volume. Just his decision to go to the rim more in that game, did you see it being more read based or did he just need to get in there, given the shot wasn't falling for him?

JOE MAZZULLA: Take what the defense gives you. So I think just his shot selection in general is really well balanced. Yeah, there are times for him to shoot open shots. But I thought he did a great job of taking what the defense gave him, especially in the first half.

Q. Given he's kind of had some ups and downs from three, does it sometimes serve him better to get into that in-between area to kind of get that rhythm?

JOE MAZZULLA: I think it just serves him better to focus on playing well-rounded basketball and take what the defense gives you throughout. Like I said, even in the games where others have said he had an off game, I thought he played really well and had presence, had physicality about him defensively, had an awareness on the offensive end. When he does that, the results will come regardless because of how good he is.