Media covering the Boston Celtics were supposed to play a pickup game among themselves at Boston’s practice facility on Tuesday. Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla had other plans.
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The Celtics told reporters that they could use the Auerbach Center courts for a media game after practice. When asked about the game, Mazzulla shared news of a change.
“Don’t want to break it to you, but you’re not playing against each other. You’re playing against the coaches,” he told reporters.
The game went exactly how one would anticipate it to go. Mazzulla and his staff dominated the 12-minute game, winning 57-4.
Mazzulla’s staff includes multiple former NBA players such as 6-foot-9 forward Amile Jefferson, guard Phil Pressey, 6-7 forward Da’Sean Butler, who is Mazulla’s former college teammate, and God Shammgod. Mazzulla — a four-year player at West Virginia — suited up, too.
Celtics stars Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum watched from above the practice court.
“It’s hard to even describe what went down in the game. To describe it as a disaster for us reporters would be an understatement. The sheer gap in athleticism — speed, size, instincts, you name it — felt so insurmountable that I can hardly pinpoint what even went down,” Celtics on CNLS reporter Noa Dalzell wrote. “I’d love to take a look at a box score, but the amount of live-ball turnovers we accrued would probably make me sick.”
The media members eventually played their pickup game afterward. The white team defeated the green team 25-22 — a stark contrast from the earlier contest.
Information from the Associated Press was used in this report.