Sixers

“We Just Didn’t Play Fast Enough,” Says Joe Mazzulla of Game-Ending Sequence

By Kevin Kinkead

Published: May 7th, 2023 · 7:37 PM EDT

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Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla is getting a lot of criticism for the way game four ended.

Deciding to let his guys play, he chose not to use a timeout and just go for it instead, but the Celtics were a little disorganized and didn’t start their action until the game clock was down to seven. Here’s the full sequence to get a feel for how it played out:

Insane finish in Philadelphia.

James Harden three AGAIN for the lead, Marcus Smart’s Hail Mary ruled late.

Sixers win.https://t.co/pU9Em4dc24 pic.twitter.com/gGCHJU4uLY

— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) May 7, 2023

They sort of botch the initial action there, making it look like some kind of horns set, but Marcus Smart peels off and they put Tyrese Maxey in a pick and roll instead. Tobias Harris goes over the screen and chases with Maxey, then Jayson Tatum dishes out to the perimeter and Boston just runs out of clock.

Mazzulla’s explanation:

Joe Mazzulla addressees not calling a timeout before final possession of OT, & how he felt about the C's offense in Game 4 pic.twitter.com/o6eFGoJJTb

— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) May 7, 2023

“That was the play. We just had to play with a little more pace. We had the right matchup. Jayson got downhill and made the right play at the rim. We just had to play with a little more pace there, but that was the play.” 

The question is whether there’s any legitimate downside to calling a timeout there. Certainly you can advance the ball, get settled, reorganize, and make sure everyone knows the play. The flip side is that it also allows the Sixers to pause and reset, and the crowd works itself into a frenzy as well. Mazzulla obviously felt comfortable with the flow of the game and thought the guys on the floor could get it done.

And yeah, he certainly could have called timeout when he noticed they weren’t getting into the set fast enough, but that would have left maybe 8-9 seconds on the clock. Hindsight is always 20/20, and Marcus Smart DID hit the shot, but Mazzulla is taking a lot of flack for letting it ride.

Good break for the Sixers. Needed one.