Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla Fined $35K For Aggressive Actions Toward Refs vs Bulls

The Celtics head coach has been fined a hefty amount for actions toward a game official.

Dec 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts after called for a technical foul as they take on the Chicago Bulls in the second half at TD Garden. Mandatory Credit: David Butler II-Imagn Images / David Butler II-Imagn Images

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been fined a huge amount for actions toward game officials on Thursday after their loss to the Chicago Bulls. 

Mazzulla was fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward a game official. Joe Dumars, executive vice president and head of basketball operations, announced the fine on Saturday.

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/bSbo09bI1V

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 21, 2024

During his postgame presser on Thursday, Mazzulla said he received a technical for walking on the court – something he admitted he should not have done. However, when asked what "message" he was trying to deliver at the end of the game, Mazzulla had an interesting explanation. 

"I hadn’t seen them in a while, so just a Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays,’" he said.

"I wasn’t sure I was gonna see them before the holiday, and you just can’t let a moment go by where you wish someone the best to them and their families."

Celtics star guard Jaylen Brown also received a technical during Thursday's game but no fine after having words with an official. Fellow Celtics star Jayson Tatum was T'd up for bickering with a ref later in the quarter.

After the game, Brown spoke to the media and said that the referee called a tech on Mazzulla "for no reason." 

"I got fined a couple weeks ago for inadvertent gestures that are determined to not be a part of the game, which was fine," Brown said. "I took the fine. But what part of the game is a ref calling an inadvertent technical foul? I said to him, 'You called a tech for no reason.' He said, 'If you say it to me again, I'm gonna call another tech.' [I said again], 'You called a tech for no reason.' Then he called the tech. Like, man, get out of here. You can't threaten guys with a technical foul. That's not part of the game either. You want to fine people for gestures and all this stuff? Fine that. Like, that's some bull****," said Brown. 

Mazzulla took exception with the officiating throughout the game, but especially in the fourth quarter. There was a play where, after a missed 3-pointer by Tatum, Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu, as well as Celtics players Payton Pritchard and Brown, chased down the loose ball. During that sequence, the officials called a jump ball, and it was decided that Pritchard and Dosunmu would be the two players who would do the jump ball.

Mazzulla disagreed and thought it should be Brown instead of Pritchard. The officials disagreed, and Mazzulla and Brown were assessed technical fouls for arguing with the referees. 

The Celtics will now look to turn the page and get their revenge on the Bulls on Saturday, this time on the road. 

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