Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla praised his team’s performance after their 114-99 victory against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on Sunday, March 29.
“I thought he did a good job just getting to the spot that he wanted,” Mazzulla said, referring to Jayson Tatum. “He played against draw, played against switching, played against the double team. I thought he made the right play when it was necessary.”
Mazzulla highlighted contributions across the roster, noting, “Jordan Walsh was great tonight and gave us a ton of energy. The combination of him, Baylor, Hugo, Ron, and that first unit were really good.” He also praised Payton Pritchard for his two-way impact, saying, “I thought he did a great job on Knueppel. I thought he did a great job on the offensive end.”
Despite the win, Mazzulla acknowledged areas for improvement, particularly rebounding. “Only five rebounds, we got to get better at that,” he said. He added that Neemias Queta provided strong interior control: “Neemy did a great job kind of controlling the paint on both ends of the floor for the majority of the game.”
Addressing the Hornets’ struggles from three-point range, Mazzulla noted, “They missed some that they usually make. We did a decent job arriving on the catch, taking away some of the ones that we can control.” Charlotte, which leads the NBA in made threes, finished 12 of 43 from beyond the arc, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller, and Kon Knueppel combining for just 7 of 27.
Mazzulla also reflected on the team’s consistency over his tenure. “It’s just a testament to the alignment, the organization, and the players. Winning still remains the most important thing,” he said. “It’s a minor milestone. I wouldn’t say that it’s a true definition of success, but I think it’s a definition of consistency.”
The Celtics dominated early, building a 19-point lead by halftime. Tatum led all scorers with 32 points while adding eight assists, and Pritchard scored 28 points, finishing 10 of 18 from the field and 6 of 6 from the free-throw line. Boston held Charlotte to 5-of-21 shooting from deep in the first half, forcing the Hornets to play catch-up.
Mazzulla emphasized preparation and focus for back-to-back games. “You play a team again, especially a good team. You have an understanding that they beat us last time, they’re playing well, and we got to play in 24 hours. It’s a balance of understanding that every game is the most important and picking your spots,” he explained.
Boston, now on a three-game winning streak, will visit Atlanta on Monday, while Charlotte heads to Brooklyn after ending its seven-game homestand with two losses.
