PHOENIX — In a stunning turn of events during Tuesday night’s dominant 97-81 victory over the Phoenix Suns, Boston Celtics reserve forward Jordan Walsh went from shining in his first-half minutes to being abruptly benched for the entire second half after an ill-advised challenge request backfired spectacularly.
Walsh was having a strong outing, contributing five points and four rebounds in just nine minutes, as the Celtics built momentum with a massive 14-0 run in the second quarter. With 2:36 remaining in the half, Walsh fouled Suns guard Grayson Allen on a three-point attempt. Immediately after the whistle, Walsh turned desperately toward the Boston bench, pleading for a challenge.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla initially hesitated but eventually relented after consulting assistant coach Matt Reynolds, who reviewed the play on video. The Celtics used their final challenge of the night — only for officials to uphold the foul call. Allen stepped to the line and knocked down all three free throws, and just like that, Boston had no challenges left.
The moment the review was confirmed, Mazzulla yanked Walsh from the game and replaced him with Ron Harper Jr. Walsh never returned, sitting out the final 28 minutes of the contest.
Despite the dramatic sequence, Mazzulla insisted after the game that the benching had nothing to do with the failed challenge.
“That had nothing to do with it,” Mazzulla said firmly. “I love that he wanted to challenge. I’m always going to have the guys’ backs and always going to build trust with those guys. That’s the most important thing, especially with the way he has to defend and how they have to compete. If you stick up for yourself, I’m always going to have your back.”
Walsh, who was not available in the locker room for media availability, had been slated for an expanded role with Jaylen Brown sidelined by a knee injury. Mazzulla even went with a nine-man rotation in the first half that prominently featured the young reserve. But after the challenge drama, the Celtics coach shifted to an eight-man rotation for most of the second half, only going deeper into the bench during garbage time.
The absence of Walsh didn’t derail Boston in the slightest. Baylor Scheierman stepped up big with 11 points and 11 rebounds, while Ron Harper Jr. added eight points as both saw increased minutes in the blowout win.
The Celtics improved to 3-0 on their Western Conference road trip with the victory and will now aim to complete the sweep Wednesday night in Denver against the Nuggets.