NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: HEAT VS. CELTICS

May 25, 2023

Joe Mazzulla

Boston Celtics

Game 5: Pregame

Q. Malcolm, how's he doing with the arm? Less minutes over the last two games. Only two points over the past two games. How has he handled that injury and how have you managed him through that?

JOE MAZZULLA: He's playing through it, giving us whatever he has, and we're just kind of going through it like that, how he's playing and how he's managing it. He's fighting through, and grateful for that.

Q. Minutes-wise, is that why reduced minutes there, a little more Grant? Do you see yourself going to Pritchard or Hauser to --

JOE MAZZULLA: It's more about just putting in whatever we've got to do to win, whether it's him or Grant or Rob or Al, whoever we go with, whatever we've got to do to win.

Q. Joe, how do you feel all of the experiences from the postseason have made you a better coach, and how do you see yourself coming out of this better than you came in?

JOE MAZZULLA: Just relying on the locker room, just taking each game, learning from it, understanding that each game is going to give you an experience and something that you've got to learn from, and that's it. Coach the game.

Q. How does Gabe Vincent's absence change the game? And obviously increased minutes for some other guys, what are you expecting there?

JOE MAZZULLA: Each individual guy for them to step up and do more, so we have to have a heightened awareness to the personnel, the details, and understanding that each of their guys is going to ask to do more, and we have to do the same.

Q. What's the mindset or how do you guys feel going into tonight's game? What's the atmosphere and the mindset?

JOE MAZZULLA: Just win or die.

Q. But loose, confident?

JOE MAZZULLA: Sure. You just take what the game gives you, not have any expectation of how the game is going to go. I thought we did a great job of that togetherness and that connectivity last game, handling the ebbs and flows of the game, and just understanding we have to continue to play with that.

Q. The win-or-die mentality, how have you dealt with that personally? Is there something you're doing over the last 48 hours to keep yourself away from being consumed with this? What are you doing over the last 48 hours not to lose sleep and not be yourself?

JOE MAZZULLA: Honestly? I met three girls under the age of 21 with terminal cancer, and I thought I was helping them by talking to them, and they were helping me. So having an understanding about what life is really all about and watching a girl dying and smiling and enjoying her life, that's what it's really all about, and having that faith and understanding.

The other thing is you always hear people give glory to God and say "thank you" when they're holding a trophy, but you never really hear it in times like this. So for me, it's an opportunity to just sit right where I'm at and just be faithful. That's what it's about.

Q. How has it changed you? How do you change your outlook, the big picture, all of the above?

JOE MAZZULLA: It makes you better, regardless. I think it starts with that.