Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla expressed no concerns over Jayson Tatum’s heated exchange with the referees during Boston’s commanding 145-113 win against the Houston Rockets during Saturday’s NBA action.
Despite the substantial lead, Tatum felt the need to confront the officials after a series of calls he disagreed with, leading to his ejection from the game in the fourth quarter.
“I’m a pretty self-aware person. I understand the time and score of the game,” Tatum said. “The game was pretty much over. I’ve got to stand up for myself.”
Tatum, who contributed 27 points and eight rebounds, faced ejection for the second time in six weeks. His performance helped the Celtics maintain their perfect home record, extending their winning streak at the TD Garden to 19 games, a first in the franchise’s storied history. Jaylen Brown scored 32 points, reinforcing Boston’s dominant season start.
“I was frustrated,” Tatum said. “At some point throughout the course of the night, you’ve got to stand up for yourself. This is not an every game thing or every night. … Tonight I just kind of had to let him know I felt.”
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Mazzulla emphasized the importance of self-defense in the NBA, suggesting appropriate times for players to assert themselves. This philosophy was tested when Tatum received his first technical foul for protesting a missed call during a dunk attempt, followed by a second technical for continuing his argument.
“In the NBA, you have that space of having to defend yourself, and for me, having to defend my guys,” Mazzulla said. “There’s a time and a place for everything, and you’ve just got to pick and choose your spots.”
The Celtics, recovering from a 33-point defeat to Milwaukee, continued their impressive run at home, dating back to last season. The team’s resilience was on full display as they bounced back from their playoff loss in the TD Garden, including a critical Game 7 defeat against Miami in the Eastern Conference Finals.
“Last game, we didn’t feel like we were at our best,” Brown said. “Today, we wanted to come out and make sure we stayed undefeated tonight on our home court.”
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Cam Whitmore and Alperen Sengun stood out for the Rockets, scoring 22 and 19 points, respectively. However, the team’s struggles were evident as they recorded their third loss in four games, leaving their record at an even 19-19.
The game also marked the return of former Celtics coach Ime Udoka, now with the Rockets, to Boston. Udoka, who led the Celtics to the NBA Finals in his sole season with them, faced mixed reactions from the crowd following his departure due to inappropriate workplace behavior.
“I’m glad to see Ime back, coaching on the sideline,” Brown said of Udoka. “I wish those guys the best of luck.”
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Udoka’s successor, Mazzulla, has since taken over the reins full-time.
“Obviously want to get a chance to run it back with a group you feel you can build and grow with,” Udoka said. “So for me the biggest thing I would say overall is letting some people down, for sure. But we’ve talked it out … and so we move past it.”
The Celtics aim to continue their undefeated home streak as they prepare to face the Toronto Raptors, while the Rockets look to bounce back against the Philadelphia 76ers in their upcoming games.
