Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla doesn't like to criticize his players for yelling at referees because he also likes to shout at them. He shared that tidbit with the media following the Celtics' first meeting with the Milwaukee Bucks. It was just as relevant to their second matchup, which saw the C's prevail 113-107 on Sunday afternoon after being down as much as 17 points.
In the third quarter of the comeback victory, Celtics star Jayson Tatum was tripped up by a closeout from Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. When Tatum went up for a 3-pointer, Antetokounmpo encroached on his landing space, causing Boston's franchise cornerstone to tweak his ankle. No foul was called on the play and Mazzulla took a timeout shortly after to voice his frustrations to the officials.
Despite the distractions that might stem from such an encounter, Tatum didn't lose focus. He notched 23 of his 31 points in the second half to help the Celtics improve to 9-2 on the season. Mazzulla commended Tatum for his poise, but not before emphasizing that the refs messed up by not whistling for a flagrant foul, via NBC Sports Boston.
“That's ridiculous,” he said of the no-call. “Can't miss that. Can't miss that … And [Tatum] didn't let it impact the rest of the game on either end of the floor. But the refs did a great job, they knew that they missed it … That's something that's gotta be [called] because it could have hurt. He's hurt an ankle before. But credit to him for handling it the right way.”
In Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals versus the Miami Heat, Tatum tweaked his ankle on the first play and the Celtics never found their rhythm with him hampered. A similar injury would certainly hinder the reigning NBA champions, who've benefitted greatly from Tatum's hot start to the 2024-25 season.
“I could've been out for six weeks,” Tatum told reporters. “For it to be a no-call … That s*** is frustrating.”
Through 11 games, the five-time All-Star is averaging 30.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and five assists per outing.
Celtics-Bucks was chippy before and after Giannis Antetokounmpo's closeout
With 6:52 remaining in the fourth quarter—and Antetokounmpo's closeout in mind—Celtics star Jaylen Brown committed a flagrant foul on Milwaukee's go-to guy. Antetokounmpo sank the two free throws he was gifted and put his team up 97-95. From there, the C's outscored the Bucks 18-10 and knocked their Eastern Conference foe down to a dismal 2-8 overall record.
This wasn't the first controversy between Brown and Antetokounmpo. In the first quarter, the two Finals MVPs were going at each other on both ends of the floor. The Greek Freak even extended his hand to Brown before jokingly pulling it away.
Although Antetokounmpo's intentions were likely harmless, Brown wasn't laughing. He later had some harsh words for the two-time league MVP.
“Giannis is a child,” Brown commented. “I'm just focused on helping my team get a win. And that's what we did tonight.”
Antetokounmpo did his best at attempting to secure a statement win against the Celtics, recording a season-high 43 points in under 40 minutes of play. The rest of Milwaukee's starters combined for just 30 points.
Brown, in his first game back since suffering a hip injury nine days ago, contributed 14 points, five rebounds, and four assists in the win. Former Buck and two-time NBA champion Jrue Holiday was the unsung hero of the contest, posting 15 points and three assists while making multiple hustle plays down the stretch.
The Celtics will now head back home for their first game of the second annual NBA Cup. They'll face the Atlanta Hawks on Tuesday, who they already defeated last Monday, 123-93. As for the Bucks, they'll have their first NBA Cup game against the rebuilding Toronto Raptors. A loss there could be a massive blow to an already underperforming Bucks team.
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