Joe Mazzulla has yet to be fined as an NBA head coach, and he's hoping to keep it that way.
Still, Mazzulla had to find some way to make his opinion known after the Boston Celtics' loss to the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on Monday night.
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So, when asked what led to the Celtics shooting just 14 free throws compared to the Knicks' 34, Mazzulla chose his words carefully.
"How can I say this without getting in trouble," Mazzulla said, before pausing and adding: "It wasn’t the same as the Philly game."
Boston also was on the wrong end of a free throw disparity in Saturday's win over the Philadelphia 76ers, attempting 12 free throws to Philly's 35. But Mazzulla thought most of the officials' calls in that game were valid, and it's clear he didn't feel the same way about Monday night's officiating.
Jayson Tatum certainly would agree with his head coach; Tatum earned his first career ejection after picking up a pair of technical fouls for arguing with referees over missed calls.
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Even if Mazzulla and Tatum have a point, the refs weren't the primary culprit for Boston's struggles. The Celtics shot just 21.4 percent from 3-point range (9 for 42) -- their worst outside shooting performance of the season -- and at one point missed 17 threes in a row.
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"I thought we missed a lot of good looks," Mazzulla said. "They do a good job of putting pressure on the paint, and free throws, and so if you can't make open shots, you constantly have to guard paint threats, and they put a lot of pressure on our defense. I just didn't think it was our night."
Tatum was a bit more direct in his criticism of the officials after the game, so he might be hearing from the league about a possible fine. While Mazzulla may feel similarly, he might have been tactful enough with his postgame comments to avoid a similar fate.