Joe Mazzulla Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports

Celtics coach told inappropriate jokes to loosen up team during game

Originally posted on Larry Brown Sports | By Grey Papke | Last updated 2/10/24

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla deployed an unusual tactic on Friday when his team was struggling against the lowly Washington Wizards.

Mazzulla told reporters following Friday’s 133-129 comeback win that at one point in the third quarter, he told his team a few jokes to try to loosen them up. The Celtics coach would not share them with reporters, saying they were too inappropriate.

Joe Mazzulla said he told a couple of jokes during the third quarter to ease the tension while the Celtics were trailing Washington. He said he wouldn’t share them because they were inappropriate though.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) February 10, 2024

Did it work? The results might suggest that it did, but the players certainly weren’t impressed. Jaylen Brown said he did not find any of it funny because the Celtics were losing at the time.

Jaylen Brown: “We were losing at the time. I didn’t find it funny.”

Lol.

— Jay King (@ByJayKing) February 10, 2024

The Celtics did wind up outscoring Washington 36-16 in the third quarter, though they actually went on to lose the fourth. Maybe Mazzulla’s efforts inadvertently refocused the Celtics, or perhaps it was purely coincidental.

Mazzulla has shown in the past that he sometimes operates to the beat of a different drum. That was certainly the case here, but with the Celtics sitting at 40-12, it’s tough to argue with the results.

This article first appeared on Larry Brown Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: