Joe Mazzulla had two words, and only two words, on Monday night.
“Illegal screen.”
The Boston Celtics’ head coach said those two words over and over when speaking with reporters after the team’s late loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday, clearly upset by what he thought was an illegal screen set by Pascal Siakam before the game-winning bucket.
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While it’s not as harsh as the comments made by Jaylen Brown on Saturday, it’s still likely to lead to a fine from the NBA in the coming days.
Siakam set a screen for Pacers guard Andrew Nembhard at the top of the court, though Nembhard gave him the ball back almost immediately. Siakam then worked Derrick White down the paint and hit a bank-shot with less than seven seconds left to secure a 98-96 win over the Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
It’s the screen that set Mazzulla off. Siakam didn’t appear to be completely set when he set the screen for Nembhard, and then he leaned into White’s hip — which knocked him to the ground briefly.
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Siakam wasn’t called for a foul on the play, and the game continued.
After the game, instead of talking about anything that led up to that play, Mazzulla answered plainly to every question he was asked by reporters.
“Illegal screen,” he said every time before finally walking off.
Siakam led the Pacers with 21 points and eight rebounds, shooting 10-of-15 from the field. Jay Huff added 20 points, and Nembhard finished with 13 points. The win marked the third straight for Indianapolis, which now holds a 9-31 record.
Payton Pritchard led the Celtics with 23 points and eight assists in the loss, which marked their third in a four-game span. White added 18 points, and Anfernee Simons finished with 16 points off the bench.
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This is the second straight game in which someone within the Celtics organization has publicly criticized the officials. Brown went off after the team’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, calling out the referees in that game with a long, expletive-filled rant. Brown didn’t attempt a single free throw in that contest, and the Celtics took only four as a team.
“I’ll accept the fine at this point. I thought it was some bulls*** tonight,” Brown said on Saturday, in part. “I think they’re a good defensive team, but they ain’t that damn good … Every time we play a good team, the inconsistency is crazy. I’ll take the f***ing fine. Curtis, all them dudes, was terrible tonight. I don’t care, they can fine me whatever they want.”
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