Joe Mazzulla explains reaction to being bumped by Raptors player originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Joe Mazzulla didn't take kindly to being bumped by Chris Boucher during Wednesday's Boston Celtics-Toronto Raptors game.
The Celtics head coach had to be held back by big man Robert Williams after Boucher bumped into him during a dead ball in the second quarter. Boucher clipped Mazzulla while walking back to the Toronto bench, prompting Mazzulla to direct a few words toward the Raptors center.
Watch the sequence below:
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Mazzulla explained his side of the story after the game.
"I wasn’t irritated, I just got bumped and was trying to figure out what happened," he said. "I gotta be more aware of my surroundings.”
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It isn't the first time Mazzulla's intensity has been on display during a game. The first-year head coach battled ex-Celtic Aaron Nesmith -- now with the Indiana Pacers -- for a loose ball earlier this season.
Boucher's bump may have ticked off Mazzulla -- even if he says otherwise -- but he ended the night in a better mood as the Celtics beat the Raptors, 97-93. After locking up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference, Boston will host Toronto again Friday night and finish its season Sunday against the Atlanta Hawks.
