The Celtics didn’t find it funny.
The Boston Celtics beat the Washington Wizards 133-129 on Friday night, but only after coming back from a halftime deficit they almost gave up in crunch-time. No NBA team apologizes for any victory. Still, it’s safe to say Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics didn’t expect such a tough test from arguably the worst team in the NBA—especially playing from the friendly confines of TD Garden.
Sensing his frustrated team needed some levity as Boston trailed in the third quarter, coach Mazzulla tried to lighten the mood in the huddle by telling a joke. Despite the Celtics’ come-from-behind then nearly lose-from-ahead victory, Mazzulla’s comedy apparently didn’t go over very well on the sidelines.
After the game, Jaylen Brown was asked about Mazzulla’s affinity for in-game joke-telling.
“Joe, tell jokes? I wouldn’t say he does it often but he definitely try to put his personality in there,” Brown said. “Some days he has better luck than today, I would say.”
Alerted that Joe Mazzulla had just told reporters his jokes landed, Brown disagreed.
“Then I guess that’s what we’re gonna go with. We were losing at the time—I didn’t find it funny,” he deadpanned. “But I understand that’s Joe.”
Jayson Tatum remembered the moment a bit differently.
“Nah, I told one joke and he told a joke. His wasn’t that funny,” he said of Mazzulla. “But, you know, it was just to lighten up the moment.”
Annoyed as Brown, Tatum and their teammates were at initially falling behind the Wizards and then failing to put the visitors away for good, the Celtics can take quick solace from adding to their league-best 40-12 record. Boston is back in action on Sunday in a nationally televised road tilt with the Miami Heat.
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