Joe Mazzulla has pushed all the right buttons this season, which is probably why he’s a leading candidate for Coach of the Year. He knows exactly what he wants to accomplish, and he’s getting everyone on board to make it happen.
That doesn’t mean he’s immune to mistakes. He admitted as much after the Celtics fell behind by 22 against the Miami Heat before storming back to win.
“I kind of put the guys in a tough spot to start the game, just processing all the what-if scenarios,” Mazzulla said. “We were just kind of bogged down by those things … Once we just kind of simplified it, and once the game went on and we were able to see those reads, I thought the guys did a much better job.”
He might have made another one against the Denver Nuggets — missing a golden opportunity to steal a win against a cold-shooting Nikola Jokić and a sick Jamal Murray.
What Happened in Denver
Both teams came out cold, but the Celtics built a lead into halftime. The third quarter was back-and-forth until the final two minutes, when the Nuggets went on a game-changing run.
Boston was missing everything and lacked energy. The third game in four nights seemed to weigh them down as Denver started to take off.
It was a perfect moment to turn to Luka Garza.
Why Garza Was the Obvious Spark Option
If nothing else, Garza is a high-energy, pick-setting, offensive-rebounding machine. If there was ever a time to “break the glass,” it was during this emergency. The offense needed a jolt — something Garza has regularly provided when shots aren’t falling and legs feel heavy.
I understand putting Garza against Jokić might feel like throwing red meat to a junkyard dog, but the Celtics needed something to spark them. They missed 54 shots and had an offensive rebounding percentage of only 23.2% (11.5% below their season average). Garza alone is at 13.2% offensive rebounding rate — leading the team and ranking 25th in the league.
Garza is also 26th in the NBA in points generated by screen assists (5.8 per game). For a team missing as many shots as Boston did, having Garza set screens to free up shooters like Jaylen Brown or Derrick White would have been huge. That could have helped draw fouls, get to the line, and potentially snap the cold streak once some shots started falling.
The Celtics got into the bonus early in the third (7:55 remaining) when Neemias Queta drew two free throws on a Jokić foul — but then never took another bonus free throw the rest of the quarter. Denver handed Boston a free pass to attack downhill aggressively, and the Celtics never took advantage.
Vucevic Was Struggling – Garza Had Fresh Legs
Vucevic wasn’t providing much offensively or defensively. Garza had fresh legs because he hasn’t been playing heavy minutes. At that moment, DNP-CD status for Garza felt like a missed opportunity to inject energy and chaos when the team needed it most.
Obviously, we’ll never know what would have happened if Garza had gotten in. It might have been a disaster. But the Celtics were already in the middle of a disaster of a shooting night — and Garza has proven he can change momentum in exactly those kinds of games.
Mazzulla Has Been Excellent – But This Was a Missed Chance
Joe Mazzulla has been outstanding this season, guiding a Tatum-less Celtics to one of the East’s best records through depth, discipline, and smart adjustments. He deserves every bit of Coach of the Year buzz.
But against Denver, leaving Garza on the bench during a clear energy and rebounding drought felt like a missed opportunity. Garza isn’t a perfect player, but his motor, screen-setting, and offensive rebounding could have been the exact spark a sluggish, cold-shooting team needed.
Sometimes the bold move is the right one — even if it’s risky. Mazzulla has earned trust, but this was one spot where breaking the glass might have changed the outcome.
Celtics fans: Mazzulla is getting it right far more than wrong. But Garza sitting during that third-quarter collapse will be one fans remember — and one Mazzulla might second-guess himself.