NBA Notebook: Why Joe Mazzulla avoids calling timeouts for Celtics

Joe Mazzulla watched the Celtics' most important possession line up naturally against the Chicago Bulls on Wednesday after a 26-17 run to reach within two points with under 30 seconds to play. The shot clock ticked below eight, Jayson Tatum lined up the defense and when it hit four, Alex Caruso darted from Al Horford in the right corner to double-team Tatum with Patrick Williams. Tatum unloaded a bounce pass to the corner and Horford fired and converted effectively a game-winning three.

“I vaguely thought about (calling timeout)," Mazzulla said. "But then I looked at the players we had on the floor and I was like, why would I call it when we have them?"

Mazzulla developed spacing and movement principles in his early months at training camp that allowed the Celtics to manage themselves, read the game and call plays on the floor without much assistance from the sideline. So when runs go against his team, the interim head coach showcased his signature stylistic difference from Ime Udoka by not calling many timeouts early this season. The Celtics have the tools to right themselves, he argues, so he didn't call one when Philadelphia went on a second-quarter run on opening night to take a lead, holding his timeouts on Thursday against the Nets until nearly halftime. 

Coaches differ widely on how to utilize timeouts, each of them carrying seven to start a game before automatically falling to three in the fourth quarter and two in the final three minutes. You need one to challenge a play, and both Mazzulla and Timberwolves head coach Chris Finch agreed carrying two into crunch time is mandatory. It gave the Celtics a go-ahead chance after a steal late in their last loss to Orlando, and Grant Williams wished he used one in-bounding before turning it over. Whether you save one for a challenge, need to advance the ball or substitute offensive and defensive lineups, few games outside of the runaway loss in Oklahoma City called for more timeouts earlier rather than late. 

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle, however, called three in the third quarter and used five through the middle portion of the fourth to stop a second-half Celtics comeback attempt in Indiana's December win.  He used his final two consecutively with 17 seconds left leading by five after a string of turnovers. 

"Every coach is different. Some guys allow their group to continue to play through mistakes," Pelicans head coach Willie Green said. "(Boston) is a veteran team. It reminds me of being in Golden State. Steve Kerr didn't call a lot of timeouts. He allowed the team to play through it. When you have veterans that have been there and won at a high level like the guys here in Boston, it's sort of a luxury to have. I'm in between. We're working toward getting to that point where I don't have to call as many, I don't feel like I do, but there just comes a time in the game where you need to take them and get your group organized and I won't hesitate to do that." 

Mazzulla pulls from every NBA head coach to some degree. His preferred game flow stems from soccer as a former high school standout who watches the sport frequently and loves its lack of stoppages and flow between defense and offense. Celtics games fly by due in large part to their coach's propensity to play on, and the opposing head coach often ends up calling for stoppages Boston might need.

He defended his strategy against early suspicions, and grew so accustomed to questions about it that he began quipping about times he erred in managing them, including a moment late in the Celtics' win over the Spurs when his early timeout call opened the door for Gregg Popovich to call one and create a two-for-one. 

The Celtics generally liked the shift from Udoka's willingness to sometimes call timeouts seconds into games to dig into his team toward Mazzulla's positive reinforcement. Grant couldn't remember a moment where he's yelled at the team, and he'll, instead, subtly challenge players defensively along the sideline and point out spacing while the team plays offense. 

"That's something Joe has implemented to start the season," Jayson Tatum told Boston Sports Journal in Brooklyn. "When things aren't necessarily going right, traditionally in the NBA, guys go on an 8-0 run, 10-2 run, you'd look to the bench and they're gonna call a timeout. Joe would look at us and be like, 'no. Keep playing.' I think at first, it was an adjustment, but I'm damn near surprised when he does call a timeout (now)."

Malcolm Brogdon and the team practice creativity and playing off each other when they practice, which is especially important for him as he morphs between primary second-unit scorer and facilitator. Mazzulla provided a framework to work within, on Saturday passing down play calls that prevented the Nets from double-teaming Tatum often, but otherwise takes a back seat and lets the players facilitate offense.

Beyond Mazzulla's personal preferences, his style befitted his veteran roster and stemmed from his belief that that the bigger picture outweighs the regular season and his desire to address last year's offensive challenges. He also wanted to encourage assertiveness and maintain a high pace offensively. Rockets head coach Stephen Silas agreed with Mazzulla's principle, but believed calling timeouts fits his team.

"(Timeouts have) a huge value, to me, with the young group," Silas told BSJ. "There's times where we can get a little frayed, not afraid, but frayed and there's times to teach, and a lot of this year, and the previous year, have been teaching, so I will use timeouts in order to settle us down or to teach. But then, there’s also times where I’ll let them go and let them play and let them learn by the experience. There's some games where I'll find I have two timeouts to use before three minutes, and then there's other times where I'll have one left at the end of the game just based on how the game is going. For my group, and the way I coach, it's always teaching moments during the timeouts."

Clippers head coach Ty Lue fell in between Silas and Mazzulla, noting context like shot quality, and whether runs come at home or on the road as influences on how often he calls timeout. Celtics assistant Damon Stoudamire also differed slightly from his head coach when he took over for two games while Mazzulla recovered from two eye injuries.

Stoudamire saw the Celtics start slow after halftime against the Rockets and repeat that mistake against a more talented Clippers team, who established a lead, unlike Houston, and forced Stoudamire to stop the game. He felt his players needed a moment to take a deep breath and settle themselves. 

"Guys go sit over there, and let's just relax for a second,” Stoudamire said. “I didn't think the game was getting away from us, but I just felt like we just needed to regroup. I didn't say too much, sometimes you've got to call timeout just to call timeout and then you've got to settle everybody down and get the game and the momentum back.”

The Celtics’ win over the Spurs reacted positively and negatively toward Mazzulla’s management style. Boston’s lead dwindled late while Brogdon sat in favor of last year’s starting double-big lineup, which Mazzulla wanted to get crunch time minutes for. Brown and Tatum held the ball and each committed an offensive foul before San Antonio pulled within a possession.

Then, in a scramble play where Tatum nearly committed another, he tossed the ball to Derrick White with the shot clock declining. White drove and saw Robert Williams III at the last second, tossing a lob for the win. Reading and reacting.

"It's a lot of times where he won't even call a play, and it's just, 'go make a read,’” Smart said. “We got a lot of great players whose basketball IQs are very high, who have been doing this at a high level for a very long time. We're just figuring out, there's going to be times where Joe can't save us, and we're going to have to figure out how to save ourselves and he gives us that ability to be able go out there and do that."

Here's what else happened around the NBA this week... 

Atlanta (20-22): Looked awfully thin losing to the Bucks minus Giannis Antetokounmpo as Trae Young sat, with Dejounte Murray mustering only nine points in 38 minutes. Zach Lowe spoke about them on a recent podcast and nothing would surprise him, from a Young trade within the next 18 months to Murray moving by the deadline and everyone down the line. They named Kyle Korver assistant GM behind Landry Fields as their front office transition continues. Sam Amick reported the Murray and Kevin Huerter trades marked the beginning of the end of Travis Schlenk's reign, as he got overruled.

Boston (31-12): Won five straight games after their debacle in Oklahoma City, highlighted by Robert Williams III's best game at San Antonio. He began the week sitting to manage his knee against New Orleans, as he will in all back-to-backs, before extending to 29 minutes against the Nets. He started the Celtics' win over Chicago, and they rank No. 2 in defense since his return. Jaylen Brown (adductor) felt tightness after scoring 41 points against the Pelicans and will likely miss one week, Joe Mazzulla said. Brown and Jayson Tatum combined for 72 points in the win. Tatum, who's battling multiple finger injuries and his nagging left wrist soreness, said he'll continue to play through them despite Brad Stevens' likely insistence to make him rest it. 

Brooklyn (27-14): Kevin Durant sprained his right MCL, the opposite of the one he sprained that cost him six weeks almost one year ago, and is expected to miss one month. Kyrie Irving closed out the Nets' win over the Heat with 29 points, but Durant's injury derailed their 18-of-20 streak when they scored 98 points against Boston in their first game without him. Ben Simmons contributed zero, despite a season-high 13 assists sparking Brooklyn's transition game. Jacque Vaughn hoped Simmons could lead the Nets into their second unit offense, but he passed up two layups in the fourth quarter where the Nets scored 16 points and fell behind by double-digits. T.J. Warren, another key in Durant's absence, scored 20 points off the bench.

Charlotte (11-32): Lost three despite improving offensive returns since LaMelo Ball returned from injury. He's averaging 24.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG and 8.8 APG while shooting 42.1% from the field and 39.3% from three in 16 games since his second ankle sprain this season. Gordon Hayward (hamstring) will miss the first of two games against the Celtics this weekend recovering from a hamstring injury, which he may return from next week. Look out for rookie Mark Williams, who's slowly integrating into the team's rotation alongside Mason Plumlee after spending some time in the G-League earlier this year. 

Chicago (19-24): DeMar DeRozan and Zach LaVine extended the Bulls' win streak to three by scoring 71 points against the Bulls, then DeRozan exited the next game against Boston with a quad injury. LaVine's six straight shots in the fourth quarter fell short of completing a comeback against the Celtics, and DeRozan missed Wednesday's loss to the Wizards and Friday's game against Oklahoma City. Javonte Green underwent right knee surgery on Wednesday and will likely miss one month. Lonzo Ball, who underwent meniscus surgery on Jan. 28 last year, posted a video of himself dunking. 

Cleveland (27-16): Ricky Rubio returned to the lineup after tearing his ACL on Dec. 28, 2021 and getting traded to the Pacers for Caris LeVert. He re-signed with Cleveland in free agency as he continued his rehab, finally playing five minutes in the Cavaliers' win over the Blazers. Donovan Mitchell, Darius Garland and Jarrett Allen combined for 70 points in the win after falling short in Mitchell's return to Utah. Allen left the game with an illness after seven minutes and Mitchell's 46 points weren't enough to overcome his absence. Rubio, who previously spoke about leaving the NBA soon, has a minutes limit. 

"I didn't work just to come back today," Rubio said. "I worked hard to come back stronger than ever. It's not just about today. I'm looking forward to having a strong season, not just a comeback season."

Dallas (24-19): Moving Christian Wood to the starting lineup 14 games ago paid off again as Luka Doncic and his pick-and-roll partner dazzled in an overtime win over the Lakers. The Mavericks moved into the four seed after Doncic finished with 35 points, 14 rebounds and 13 assists. Wood poured in 24 points and 14 rebounds while playing through some ankle pain in the extra period, where Doncic hit a three to push the game to double overtime. Doncic scored 43 points in 43 minutes in another loss to the Clippers, who have tortured Dallas for his whole career now. Wood is averaging 20.0 PPG, 8.9 RPG and 2.5 BPG on 53.2% shooting since becoming a starter. They've won 9-of-16, but with a negative net rating. 

Denver (29-13): Scored at least 120 points in nine of their last 11 games, passing the Celtics for No. 1 in offensive rating this season with 117.4 points per 100 possessions. They're averaging a 121.5 offensive rating since Christmas, and they've improved to seventh in defense over that stretch, which will likely dictate whether they can separate themselves from the field in the west along with health. Jamal Murray rolled his left ankle as the Nuggets led the Suns by 25 points in the fourth quarter, but he returned to beat the Clippers on Friday. 

Detroit (12-34): Saddiq Bey scored 31 points to lead the Pistons over the Timberwolves after losing consecutive games to the 76ers. Bey, averaging 14.0 PPG and 4.1 RPG on 40.1% FG and 32.7% 3PT after an encouraging first two seasons to his career, will become extension-eligible this summer and one of the more intriguing trade candidates at this deadline. With wing size and shooting pedigree, he could reemerge elsewhere and return draft capital to the Pistons that could kick forward their rebuilding window. Isaiah Stewart (shoulder) sat out the last three games with lingering pain. 

Golden State (21-21): Steph Curry (shoulder) returned and scored 24 points in a loss to the Suns after missing 11 games, and scored only the fourth Warriors road win of the season at the Alamo Dome against the Spurs. Andrew Wiggins scored 11.0 PPG in his first three games back from an adductor injury, shooting 9-for-28 and 2-for-11 from three, and Andre Iguodala debuted, averaging 13 minutes in three games. As the Warriors core works toward full strength, Draymond Green addressed punching Jordan Poole and his future with the team in a Taylor Rooks interview. He accused someone of releasing the video to paint him in a negative light, and admitted he may not finish his career with Golden State. They visit the Celtics on Thursday. 

"Quite frankly, the writing's on the wall. I understand the business. We tend to get into this, 'someone owes us something because of what we've accomplished,'" Green said. "You'd be an idiot to walk around feeling that way. I feel like you're just setting yourself up for failure. You're setting yourself up for heartbreak. You're setting yourself up for disappointment." 

Houston (10-32): It's worth wondering if Stephen Silas, in the final year of his contract, will survive as the Rockets struggle to take steps and lost their eighth straight game. Houston could've done a better job setting up Silas for success with veterans and a better return for James Harden, instead of stripping down their roster and re-routing Jarrett Allen to the Cavaliers for an extra first-round pick. Kevin Porter Jr. (foot) left Wednesday's loss and missed Friday's too.

Indiana (23-20): Tyrese Haliburton will be re-evaluated in two weeks after suffering a left elbow injury and knee bruise. Chris Duarte and Andrew Nembhard only managed 13 points in their first game without him, but Oshae Brissett and Bennedict Mathurin battled down to the buzzer with the Hawks before John Collins won the game on a put back. The Pacers reportedly expressed interest in Collins as Atlanta's organizational maneuvering and struggles continue, and Jake Fishcer indicated they've moved off an unwillingness to trade Duarte. Indiana wants to upgrade at power forward before the trade deadline, and various wings like OG Anunoby and PJ Washington could become available, but they've also expressed comfort with Aaron Nesmith's interior play. 

Clippers (22-22): Broke their five-game losing streak thanks to a hardened defensive effort and 33 points from Kawhi Leonard. Norman Powell scored 27 points, and remain sixth in defense, just ahead of the Celtics. NBA beat writers voted them as a slight favorite over Denver in the midseason survey, but Paul George (hamstring) and Luke Kennard (calf) are hurt as years of everlasting injuries persist.

Lakers (19-23): LeBron James scored 24 points and received 29 from his fellow starters in a double overtime effort against the Mavericks, playing 47 minutes and falling to the Mavericks. LA remains stuck in the 13th slot in the west, and while Russell Westbrook's admirable play off the bench continues, the contributions from Thomas Bryant, Dennis Schröder and other role players slipped over the past two games. Chris Haynes and Shams Charania reported that the Lakers worked out Demarcus Cousins and Meyers Leonard, and Bojan Bogdanovic remains on their radar.

Memphis (28-13): Beat the Jazz without Ja Morant and their offense kept humming with him through a mini series sweep of the Spurs to extend their win streak to eight. They've scored 120 points in the most recent five, and now rank ninth in offense and second in defense. Morant averaged 29.8 PPG and 8.0 APG in six of the wins, shooting 55.1%. Jaren Jackson Jr. appeared in midseason defensive player of the year voting, posting 18.8 PPG, 7.8 RPG and 3.6 BPG on 56% shooting in his last eight appearances. Desmond Bane shot 47.2% from three during the streak. 

Miami (23-20): Bam Adebayo and Gabe Vincent led them past the Bucks in a lockdown defensive effort in game one of their mini series after Adebayo rested during the Heat's win over the Thunder. Tyler Herro (Achilles) and Kyle Lowry (knee) missed both games after helping challenge the Nets last Sunday after Kevin Durant got hurt. Lowry remains out on Saturday and Herro is questionable. It's possible Lowry doesn't stick with the team beyond the deadline, as the team reportedly explores ways to offload his two-year, $58.1 million contract. D'Angelo Russell is a target, Jake Fischer reported. 

Milwaukee (27-15): Giannis Antetokounmpo strangely posted seven points, 18 rebounds and 10 assists as Jrue Holiday and Brook Lopez picked up the scoring burden in a win over the Hawks. He rested in Thursday's loss against the Heat, as the Bucks fell to 18-15 since their 9-0 start. They now rank 25th in offense, behind the Pistons, and third in defense, enough to keep them afloat as the east's third seed. Antetokounmpo (knee) is expected to sit again on Saturday in the second Miami mini series game, Adrian Wojnarowski reported. Khris Middleton (knee) practiced with the G-League Herd after missing the Bucks' last 14 games, but will sit again on Saturday despite his knee responding well to significant five-on-five action.

Minnesota (21-22): Won their sixth straight game over the Suns behind 31 points from Anthony Edwards, but he's shooting 41.5% FG and 28.9% 3PT during the streak. The team's riding some unsustainable D'Angelo Russell, Jaden McDaniels, Kyle Anderson and Taurean Prince shooting, and they only ranked 15th in defense during the streak. Karl-Anthony Towns (calf) remains out with a what he called a significant injury, and doesn't have a timeline for his return. Jake Fischer reported extension talks between Russell and the Wolves went nowhere in the summer, and he could be moved. 

New Orleans (26-17): CJ McCollum scored 38 and started 6-of-7 from three to build an early lead on the Celtics as Brandon Ingram (toe) and Zion Williamson (hamstring) continue to recovery, but New Orleans fell 125-114 at Boston. Ingram hoped to return from a now 24-game absence where the Pelicans managed 15 wins, but only Cleveland remains before the team returns home. He hasn't practiced since the injury, which may be the hurdle.

“We’ve got a lot of injuries. A lot of teams are going through it," McCollum said. "It’s the time of year when you feel more fatigued mentally and physically,” McCollum said. “But you go through that process of having to fight through it, having to really push and trust and work. I think we’ve done that all year. For us to be in this position after the injuries we’ve had, it’s a testament to our team, our staff and our development.”

New York (24-19): Julius Randle is quietly a top-10 total scorer in the NBA, a testament to his availability and resurgent season, averaging 28.8 PPG, 13.5 RPG and 4.2 APG on 45.6% shooting over his last 12 games. The Knicks have won 6-of-7, only losing narrowly to the Bucks recently, during which the Knicks rank No. 3 in defense. RJ Barrett shot 44.4% on 36 shots in his first two games back from a finger laceration, scoring 44 points. 

Oklahoma City (20-23): Pulled within 0.5 games of the Suns for the west's 10th and final playoff seed entering the final game of their road trip in Brooklyn. They beat the 76ers and Bulls after losing by one point in Miami and winning 3-of-5 on their last home stand. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Josh Giddey should join any back court power ranking in the league for their performance leading this young group, averaging 49.1 PPG and 11.5 APG in the new year. Now, they face the difficult deadline decision of potentially making some small sales to move back into the lottery or buy for a playoff push.

Orlando (16-27): Franz Wagner holds a legitimate all-star case after a 23.4 PPG start to the new year, opening up his scoring game out of necessity for a Magic team occasionally starved of offensive creation. Jackson Frank profiled his pick-and-roll creation ability that borders on the top fourth of the league in terms of points per possession, and his unsung defensive impact at 6-10. Jonathan Isaac, playing for G-League Lakeland, appeared in his first basketball game since the Bubble due to multiple injuries. He scored 15 points with five rebounds on 6-of-12 shooting. Isaac remains without a timeline. 

Philadelphia (25-16): Joel Embiid returned from a three-game absence due to foot soreness to power a 147-point offensive effort with 36 of his own against Detroit before posting another 30 points in a loss to the Thunder. Embiid said he tweaked his foot against Oklahoma City, but would be fine. The team did not list him on its injury report for Saturday's matchup at the Jazz. 

“The one that I had earlier in the year when I landed on someone’s foot, I don’t know if I did the same thing, but it’s about the same thing,” Embiid said on Tuesday. “I just got to manage it and basically go based on pain and stuff.”

Phoenix (21-23): They lost 8-of-9 and fell on the verge of sliding out of the western conference playoff picture after losing to the Timberwolves on Friday, their 10th straight game without Devin Booker (groin). Chris Paul missed the past four games with a hip injury and Jae Crowder spoke out again as his holdout approaches the trade deadline. Crowder said he felt confused and hurt by a lack of appreciation from Suns coaches. Monty Williams responded by saying he's focused on the players present with the team, who have now fallen to 12th in offense and defense through multiple major injuries. 

"I've spoken to every player that I've played with on that team and they all have stressed how much they miss [me] and respect my decision, and I'm thankful for their understanding," Crowder told Bleacher Report. "This move of pushing me out the door was a blindsided hit to not only me but my teammates, as you can see from speaking to them and myself and the conversations we've had behind closed door ... I will continue to prepare myself daily for battle once the call is made and continue to be a leader on the court, locker room, as well as off the court."

Portland (19-22): Lost five straight and fell into a tie for 11th in the west, outside of the playoff picture, with Oklahoma City despite a strong Jerami Grant season continuing and Gary Payton II's return. Each passing week calls into question the legitimacy of their hot defensive start, they now rank 20th in defensive rating, and Damian Lillard is shooting 29.1% from three in the new year as he manages two ankle injuries. He scored 50 points and shook them off after a loss to Cleveland. Nassir Little (abdominal) returned to on-court activities with no timeline to play, while Justise Winslow (ankle) will miss at least the next two weeks.

Sacramento (23-18): Snuck into the west's top-four after scoring 135 points in a win over the Magic and mini series sweep of the Rockets. This week's soft schedule didn't address the Kings' 25th-ranked defense, but Domantas Sabonis made history with the first 15-15-15 game for the franchise since Oscar Robertson and continued his All-NBA-worthy campaign. Harrison Barnes and Keegan Murray are shooting over 48% from three in January. 

San Antonio (13-30): Suffered a 144-113 loss to the Warriors that sent the NBA record 68,323 fans at the Alamodome in a successful effort to beat the Bulls' record 1998 attendance at the Georgia Dome. Tre Jones and Romeo Langford continued their steady offensive play in the back court, with the former Celtic rounding out eight double-figure scoring averages for the Spurs this month, a step for the 27th-ranked offense. They rank last in defense. 

Toronto (19-23): Pascal Siakam scored 63 points in a mini series sweep over the Hornets, extending a much-needed Raptors win streak to three and pulling the team back into the east playoff picture ahead of the Bulls. They're only 4.5 games behind the line to avoid the play-in tournament, but uneven offensive play looms over their core as they face critical decisions before the Feb. 9 trade deadline. Gary Trent Jr. is undeniably available, according to Marc Stein, and OG Anunoby and Siakam could potentially move too if the franchise opts for a reset around a struggling Scottie Barnes. 

Utah (22-23): Lauri Markkanen and Jordan Clarkson stepped up to challenge the Grizzies and beat the Cavaliers and Magic to keep the Jazz in the playoff race as the eighth seed while the deadline nears. Rivals expect Utah to sell anyway, Jake Fischer reported, with intriguing starters like Mike Conley and Kelly Olynyk, along with role players like Malik Beasley and Jarred Vanderbilt from the Rudy Gobert trade. They discussed a deal for long-coveted target John Collins in exchange for Beasley and Vanderbilt, but Atlanta pushed for a first-round pick as well. Utah wants first-rounders back in any deals. Clarkson is not available, one of the few players the team hopes to retain from its old core ahead of his free agency this summer. 

Washington (18-25): Kyle Kuzma scored 40 points in a loss to the Knicks as Bradley Beal missed his fourth straight game with a hamstring injury. They'll reportedly try to hold out until Beal's return and retain Kuzma ahead of his free agency in hopes they can complete a new deal, one Kuzma reportedly shut down by way of extension. They've also expressed interest in adding John Collins, Jake Fischer reported.