The Celtics face their most difficult challenge of the postseason, yet Joe Mazzulla is never one to take the easy route.
Boston seems set to have Kristaps Porzingis return from injury as the star big man increases his practice workload. The Celtics are prepared for the challenge posed by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who were dominant in the Western Conference finals.
However, when questioned about stopping the Mavericks’ star duo, Mazzulla, as is typical for him, provided a nuanced response.
Boston seems set to have Kristaps Porzingis back from injury as the star big man increases his practice workload. The Celtics are prepared for the challenge posed by Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, who looked unstoppable in the Western Conference finals.
However, when questioned about stopping the Mavericks’ star duo, Mazzulla, as is typical for him, provided a nuanced response.
“That’s what people like to focus on. They don’t look at the game as a connected game,” Mazzulla told reporters Saturday, per NBA-provided video. “If those guys play well, they beat you. They don’t look at your offense. They don’t look at your turnovers. They don’t look at your transition. They don’t look at your second-chance points. They don’t look at your execution on the offensive end. The game is connected, and it’s not going to come down to just one thing. … This series is not only about ‘stopping’ those two guys. There is no ‘stopping’ them. There is defending them at a high level, and there’s playing a complete game because every part of the game is connected.”
