Joe Mazzulla is embracing Boston's high expectations

The Boston Celtics have gone 12-8 since the beginning of December and Joe Mazzulla's team has struggled on both sides of the floor in recent weeks. They've been unable to protect the rim (or the glass), have struggled to protect the three-point line and been hot and cold on offense. 

On Sunday, Boston clawed its way to a one-point win over the New Orleans Pelicans — a team with the worst record in the Western Conference. The Celtics shot 29.5 percent from three-point range during that game, leading to an increase in their attempts at the rim. 

Considering the Celtics entered the season with expectations of another dominant run toward the NBA Finals, it's understandable why the fanbase is slightly disappointed with how the team is playing right now. And as Mazzulla found out during Sunday's postgame news conference that disappointment has found its way into the media covering the team.

“The most important thing is winning the game and making the necessary plays, even when things aren’t going well, so to speak,” Mazzulla said. “So, every season brings on different challenges, every game brings on different opportunities. And, the situation that we’re in now is — we got to just fight to win...What are we, the third-best team in the league right now? Which isn’t great, but look, it sounds like a morgue in here. And that’s how it should be.”