Joe Mazzulla Comments on Uptempo Approach vs. Miami Heat

The Boston Celtics finished their match with a defensive rating of 115.8.

Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports

On Wednesday, the Boston Celtics took a 143-110 victory over the Miami Heat. Nine Celtics players scored double-digits in points and shot above 40-percent from the field.

Boston made nearly 64-percent of their field goal attempts. Per Inside The Celtics, head coach Joe Mazzulla expressed that defense played a key role in their uptempo approach.

“I think pace, for us, has never been about playing fast. It’s been about recognizing coverage is fast, getting into spacing fast, and then playing… We were great defensively, but I thought we had some moments of brilliance defensively. To continue to compete at a high level defensively, even though the offense was shooting that well, is important. Recognizing the match-up, get to the spacing, and make the right play as quickly as possible. I thought we had a lot more possessions with that tonight than we had. We just gotta continue that.”

The Celtics currently have the second-best defensive rating in the NBA, with a total of 110.3. The league’s defensive leaders are the Minnesota Timberwolves, who also occupy the top spot in the Western Conference standings.

Boston's next game is scheduled for Saturday, Jan. 22, against the Los Angeles Clippers at TD Garden; tip-off is at 7:00 p.m. EST.