PHILADELPHIA — After finishing up a quick press conference via Zoom on Thursday afternoon, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla stood up before making an unusual comment about himself.
“I am the worst coach ever,” Mazzulla said.
The hot mic comment was picked up, and it went viral.
Before Friday night’s Game 3 at Wells Fargo Center, Mazzulla clarified the remark.
The Celtics had just gone through a film session prior to Thursday’s press conference, when Mazzulla was asked by a reporter about Marcus Smart winning the NBA Hustle Award. It was then that Mazzulla realized he had forgotten to recognize Smart for the accomplishment.
“We had just got back from film and I missed an opportunity to show appreciation to one of our guys, so time with the guys is sacred in film,” Mazzulla said. “I had just been informed that Smart won the NBA Hustle Award, and we went through an entire film session and I didn’t show my appreciation for him. I think someone here asked me about it and my eyes lit up. I was like, ‘What an idiot.’ As I was signing off, I was just like, ‘Damn,’ and then I texted him right away.”
“That’s important. I think in situations, I know it’s about team and our guys do that, but I really love showing appreciation when guys get individual awards, especially like that one because of the sacrifice they put into it and the work that they have. So, if I do do something like that, I do think I need to be better.”
Smart won the award for the second consecutive season and third time in seven seasons since it was created. It recognizes players who make effort plays that impact winning, using hustle stats like deflections, loose balls recovered and charges drawn, the plays that Smart exemplifies on a nightly basis for the Celtics. “Every single night he brings a commitment to being physical, to being the hardest playing guy on the team,” Mazzulla said Thursday. “we’re very fortunate to have him.”
Smart said Friday he takes a lot of pride in winning the award.
“That’s what I do,” Smart said. “Coming into this league I prided myself on that and nine years in at the age of 29 I’m still doing it and I’m still doing it very well so it’s a big-time award. I know it doesn’t show up on the stat sheet, I know it doesn’t get the recognition scoring 30 points but every team needs a guy like me who’s going to come in and do the dirty work so Jayson (Tatum) and Jaylen (Brown) can go out there and do what they do best.”
Al Horford finished the regular season shooting a career-high 44.6 percent from 3-point range – which ranked second in the NBA – which is a far cry from the beginning of his career when he wasn’t close to a long range threat and didn’t make a triple until his third season. It led to a funny exchange during Friday’s shootaround.
Horford has struggled shooting the ball in the postseason, entering Friday with a 29.7 percent mark from long range over the first eight games, including a 1-for-8 performance from deep in Game 2. But he didn’t lack confidence when asked about it.
“Not much difference, really,” Horford said. “I’m still getting good looks and I’ll continue to shoot them. Even during the season, I went through ups and downs. That’s just part of it when you’re an elite shooter. You gotta get them up.”
Horford describing himself as an elite shooter generated some chuckles from the assembled media, and the veteran responded to one reporter laughing in a light-hearted manner.
“You’re laughing? You don’t think I’m an elite shooter?” Horford asked.
“I do,” the reporter responded.
“My numbers don’t support it?” Horford asked.
“They do,” the reporter answered.
“Hey. We go through walls,” Horford said. “So just staying confident and ready to go.”
After being an MVP frontrunner during the first half of the season, Tatum’s play dropped off and he finished fourth in the MVP voting, which is a career high. Joel Embiid accepted the award before Friday’s Game 3.
It’s not his No. 1 priority, but Tatum, who has played six seasons, is still hopeful of winning MVP one year.
“I think I got 15 years left in me, so hopefully one of those years I can play well enough and my team do well enough to win that award one day,” Tatum said.
Fifteen years?
“Yeah, nah. I don’t know,” Tatum said. “I guess I’ve been playing six years, so I know I got 10 years left, for sure.” …
After suffering a chest contusion in Game 1 and then briefly leaving Game 2 because of a right shoulder stinger and lip laceration he got when Joel Embiid fell on top of him, Smart was removed from the injury report for Game 3.
“I pride myself on being a warrior and keep fighting so if I can play, I’m going to play,” Smart said. “Today, I’m playing.”
Smart wore protective padding for his chest in Game 2 and said he took anti-inflammatory and continued to do so as he fought through his injuries to play.
“Chest contusion, bruised sternum, that’s taking its toll,” Smart said. “Just have to run its course. Just try to protect it as much as possible. Hopefully, I won’t take too many blows there and stay on the court.”
Blake Griffin – who has only played eight minutes over the Celtics’ first eight playoff games – was ruled out of Game 3 due to low back pain.