May 7, 2025; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla watches from the sideline as they take on the New York Knicks during game two of the second round for the 2025 NBA Playoffs at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images David Butler II-Imagn Images

Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla Addresses Late Game Timeout Controversy

Originally posted on Boston Celtics on SI
By Ricardo Klein | Last updated May 8, 2025 2:00 PM ET

The Boston Celtics suffered yet another brutal loss in Game 2, squandering another 20-point lead late in the game to go down 0-2 in the series against the New York Knicks.

The Celtics will travel to New York on Saturday to try to return the favor to the Knicks. Before the page is turned to Game 3, there are many unanswered questions regarding Game 2.

It was yet another failed opportunity for the Celtics, and head coach Joe Mazzulla is being blamed. After the game, Mazzulla was asked about his thought process regarding not calling a timeout prior to the final Celtics possession.

Instead, he let the Celtics freelance with their star, Jayson Tatum, which ultimately led to a turnover forced by Knicks forward Mikal Bridges.

Coach Mazzulla explains why he didn't call a timeout with 12 seconds left in Game 2 pic.twitter.com/S0Ka02ohxM
— NBA TV (@NBATV) May 8, 2025

"Had one [timeout] left, got a good look in the exact same play 20 seconds earlier," said Mazzulla. "Tried to execute the exact same thing, they did a better job of their lower pick-up point and we weren't able to get the advantage that we had on the last Tatum dunk. Good full-court setting, they subbed out [Karl-Anthony] Towns, weren't able to sub out Brunson. Had action there, just didn't execute."

Mazzulla did not want New York to sub out Knicks star Jalen Brunson, who is a relatively poor defender. Instead, he rolled the dice with his team, and it came back to bite them in the butt.

The Celtics' head coach also noted how Jayson Tatum got an easy bucket downhill to give the team a lead for a brief moment. They were looking for the same thing, but the Knicks did a great job stopping that action.

Game 2 was a carbon copy of Game 1. On Wednesday, the Celtics led by as many as 20 points and did so with a little over 16 minutes to go in the game.

In that span, the Knicks held the Celtics to only 20 points. The Knicks went on a 21-2 run in seven-plus minutes in the fourth quarter. Things seem bleak for the Celtics at the moment; however, they are not out of the fight yet.

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This article first appeared on Boston Celtics on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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