Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla on why he enjoys the NBA Cup: 'It eliminates the unwritten rules that you’re supposed to follow'

Many fans thought the NBA Cup was a gimmick with no real value. However, for basketball purists like Joe Mazzulla, the slight difference in rules between the In-Season Tournament and non-tournament games was a breath of fresh air. The Boston Celtics head coach believes this subtle distinction helps teams and players grow, offering an opportunity to improve rather than adhering to outdated, unwritten norms.

“I like it because this tournament and the point differential kind of eliminates the unwritten rules that you’re supposed to follow or not follow,” Mazzulla said in a postgame interview with NBC Sports Boston (H/T: Masslive). “Where in a normal situation, you wouldn’t do that. But in this one, you get to draw up a play and try to get better in that situation. So guys did a good job executing and we tried to extend the point differential as much as we could.”

What was Joe talking about?

In an NBA Cup game, the point differential is a tie-breaker in case teams end up with the same win-loss record. It adds more zip to the games, and every possession, down to the last second, means more. That is why nobody was mad even though Mazzulla called a timeout with 1.4 seconds left against the Chicago Bulls last night in a sure win.

If that was any other game, Mazzulla wouldn’t hear the end of it. That’s because the “unwritten rule” Joe was talking about is the age-old notion that it’s disrespectful to shoot in the last 24 seconds with the game already out of reach.

“It’s different,” added Mazzulla. “I think they enjoy it. It adds a little life to the game in the regular season. I know Sam (Hauser) likes it anytime he can get a shot up.”

Celtics’ path to the knockout stage

The defending champs are tied with the Atlanta Hawks (3-1) atop the East Group C. However, since Atlanta beat them in a head-to-head matchup, the Hawks automatically claim the group’s top seed. According to the Emirates NBA Cup rules, the knockout stage will be comprised of the top team of every group (there are three groups in each conference).

The fourth contestant is the best second-place team in the conference, which will ultimately be decided by the point differential tie-breaker. Two teams from the group of unbeaten squads in the EastーOrlando, New York, Detroit, and Milwaukeeー will end up with the same W-L record as the Celtics; the other two join the Hawks in the next stage.

Brian Robb of MassLive did the math, and Boston may only advance to the knockout round if:

• Magic beat the Knicks, and the Bucks beat the Pistons by at least five points.
• Magic beat the Knicks, and the Pistons beat the Bucks by at least six points.

It’s uncomfortable, to say the least, knowing your destiny is out of your hands. Nevertheless, if Mazzulla did not pull off that last-second play, it could have been a lot worse.