The Boston Celtics secured a 108-100 Game 3 win over the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, but head coach Joe Mazzulla made it clear the result came down to execution under pressure rather than clean basketball.
“A lot of shots went down tonight… but I thought we competed,” Mazzulla said postgame. “Had 17 turnovers. Gave up 13 offensive rebounds… but I liked our togetherness, liked our poise, liked our competitiveness.”
Boston shot 20-of-47 from three-point range and got 25 points each from Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, yet Mazzulla repeatedly pointed to mindset over numbers.
“You got to make plays,” he said. “Credit to everybody that played tonight made a winning or a big-time play.”
The Celtics responded after a Game 2 loss, managing multiple Philadelphia runs that had shifted momentum earlier in the series.
“They went on a run, we managed that,” Mazzulla said. “We just made some plays. I think is the reality of it. It wasn’t perfect, but we made plays.”
Boston’s fourth-quarter defense played a role, particularly in limiting transition chances and keeping the 76ers off the free-throw line.
“Communicated, kept him off the free throw line, kept him out of transition,” Mazzulla said. “Just made the right plays to win on both ends of the floor.”
The coach also doubled down on his trust in Derrick White, who struggled offensively but delivered key late possessions.
“Anybody ever doubts D-White, then they don’t really care about winning,” Mazzulla said. “He’s not defined just by shot making… those two rebounds were big-time rebounds.”
Boston’s approach reflects a read-and-react system that Mazzulla emphasized has been consistent all season.
“It’s what we do when we’re at our best,” he said. “Training camp, preseason, regular season, playoffs—we do it.”
That trust extended to role players, including Payton Pritchard, who hit a late three despite limited involvement earlier in the game.
“His defense has been elite two out of the three games,” Mazzulla said. “The shot that he hit was big… we found him and he made it.”
Mazzulla also highlighted composure from his stars, particularly in late-game execution.
“You don’t get to dictate,” he said. “A series is going to take on a life of its own… you have to just go in and settle in.”
Boston improved to 2-1 in the series behind a 29-point fourth quarter, with Tatum and Brown combining for 19 in the final period.
“You’re just throwing haymakers at each other,” Mazzulla said. “We got to just do whatever we got to do for however long it takes.”
Game 4 is set for Sunday in Philadelphia, where Mazzulla expects an even tougher response.
“Our next challenge is bouncing back and getting better,” he said. “Next game’s going to be even harder and even more of a fist fight.”
