NBA Notebook: Joe Mazzulla and Erik Spoelstra coaching matchup could define Celtics-Heat

Erik Spoelstra said Heat-Celtics won't come down to the two head coaches. 

Yet as Boston and Miami, facing in the playoffs for the fourth time in five seasons, split their first two games at TD Garden following an inexplicable Game 2 defeat where the Celtics yielded the three-point line, the immediate Heat adjustments and Boston's inability to react bridged the obvious talent gap between the teams. Now, entering Saturday's Game 3, the focus will shift to Joe Mazzulla and how he responds to Spoelstra's constant tinkering. 

"It's really not going to be about us," Spoelstra said. "But he's a very good coach. They've had a very productive season this year. They've improved all across the board. You have to respect what they've done. Their record is what their record was and their point differential and all their records they were breaking during the regular season, you have to respect that, but you also can't be fearful of that. You have to get into the competition, the way we view it is no matter who you're going to play, when you're going to play, it's going to be tough in the playoffs. That's the first battle. Wrap your mind around that. Then embrace the joy of competing against an opponent that's going to present a lot of different challenges. We've been through a lot this season, but we're looking forward to starting this series." 

The two coaches didn't contrast entirely, Spoelstra leaning into the three-point volume approach on offense that Mazzulla instilled from day one with the Celtics to gain a Game 2 advantage after falling behind by 30 points in the opener. Miami went to aggressive switching on defense to slow Boston's offense and flatten its three-point shooting. They also coaxed the Celtics into shooting repeatedly, finishing 2-for-14, against Tyler Herro. While Spoelstra said at practice on Tuesday that the Heat probably wouldn't attempt 50 threes and hold Boston to 25, they came close to both marks while securing one of the great playoff road upsets before the game could reach crunch time.

As Mazzulla looked at the stat sheet after, seeing victories at the free throw line, on the offensive boards and the overall shot margin, along with Boston committing fewer turnovers than Miami, he sounded slightly shaken yet assured about the result being an anomaly. He initially said that the Celtics contested the Heat's threes well before correcting that he felt that way about most of them. NBA tracking data revealed 23 Miami three-point attempts went up from wide open shooters, with the Heat hitting them at a 65% rate. Whether due to short contests, a philosophy to hedge away from non-shooters or lackadaisical individual efforts on defense, the game revealed how Spoelstra's ability to develop a mindset, as cliché as that sounds, plays as important of a role as any schematic adjustments. It's not about schemes, he said on Tuesday at practice, as much as preparing mentally to accomplish difficult tasks.

"We've been doubted a lot through our playoff runs," Bam Adebayo said after Game 2. "People saying we couldn't do a lot of stuff that we did. For me and my team, it's like, why lose belief now? Backs against the wall, everybody always against us. Use it as fuel. A lot of people seem to think that we're gonna buy into (when) they say ... we can't get it done, and make it seep into our locker room. It's different. Our guys believe that we can win. We get in between those lines and we make it about basketball. We don't make it about schemes. We don't make it about this guy and that guy. We make it about mano-a-mano, get in that cage fight and let's hoop." 

Again, cliché. Schemes obviously factor greatly into the Heat's playoff success, though some of their messaging plays out in what we watch on the court. They play with a level of freedom offensively, flowing between various handoffs into different kinds of shots. Adebayo poured in one leaning mid-ranger after another. Delon Wright described an intent to fire away from three whenever a Heat shooter finds any opening going into the win. They share some of the mismatch-hunting that the Celtics focus on, but against a Boston drop defense that focuses more on taking spaces away on the floor, they've gone after what's available. Miami put Kristaps Porziņģis in first half foul trouble by attacking him straight-up with Adebayo and Caleb Martin driving at him by attacking a closeout. Quick decisions that gave Mazzulla some hesitation about switching things up. 

At practice on Thursday, he sounded far more amicable to changing Boston's approach. Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Jayson Tatum, among other Celtics players, had already stressed the need to adjust and Mazzulla, when asked about any regrets from Game 2, said it's not about looking back at what you could change, but making those changes in-game. That also contrasted his comments earlier about going game-to-game as each night takes on a life of its own. On shifting to take away the threes, he sounded less committed. Boston succeeded all year when hedging away from non-shooters, waiting for them to come back to earth and their opponents settled at 38.1% on wide open and 32.8% on open threes, the 10th and second-lowest marks in the NBA. But now it's the playoffs. Smaller sample size means more anomalies can arise. It showed in the east finals when Miami shot 43% from three.

"We're gonna have to find the balance," Mazzulla said. "A lot of those guys that made shots tonight are also good drivers, especially getting downhill, so we're gonna have to find that balance of making sure we close out appropriately, but we don't want to open up the other side of that. (I thought we contested) on most of them, that's the balance of (Tyler) Herro and Adebayo pick-and-roll, being shifted off those guys and getting back out and closing out to them, but when you play a little bit inefficient offense from the standpoint of fighting for your space and getting there, that puts a ton of pressure on your defense and that's the kind of team that takes advantage of inefficient offense because of their ability to attack at that other end. We gotta fight for the offensive execution."

Mazzulla admitted coming into this season that he previously didn't feel the need to address defense, seeing effort on that end as mandatory, and that he'd discuss it more this year. That, along with Jrue Holiday's arrival and a new array of assistant coaches, helped stabilize a defensive unit that stumbled into the postseason last year. Offense still often comes first in how Mazzulla views the management of the game, stressing how both sides are connected and that disorganization on that end often leads to defensive breakdowns like the transition threes he saw fall against Boston on Wednesday. He noted there's a certain way the Heat like to generate threes, and a massive offensive letdown undoubtedly aided their ability to get there. 

On a night where threes don't fall or Porziņģis falls to 1-for-9 or an early barrage of Heat long-range attempts begin falling, the Celtics looked set in their ways. Jaylen Brown threw a pass right to Miami in the spot he expected Porziņģis to roll to where he went too wide, Boston constantly showed multiple bodies against Herro as he passed decisively on his way to 14 assists and while Miami's identity stems from its ability to mix up its looks defensively, the Celtics kept doing the same things. Tatum played his usual rotation after a hot start. The bench stayed tight, limiting Payton Pritchard's shot attempts (0) and minutes. The rotations, against the team that finished second in wide open threes (41.3%), stayed too shallow. 

"I think we gotta be more creative," Tatum said. "The playoffs are about making adjustments from game-to-game and they did that. They're not just gonna let us catch the ball, they're not just gonna let us throw it to K.P. easy. They're supposed to try to mess things up or make us think or make it a little bit tougher. So it's our job to react in real time as well as make our adjustments going from game-to-game." 

Porziņģis shared a similar sentiment the next day about Miami freezing Boston by switching things up so rapidly. That's why the blame doesn't fall solely on Mazzulla. The Celtics' players have to match a level of physicality, attention to detail and toughness that the Heat will utilize to bridge the talent gap. Hard hits like the Martin one that resonated from Game 1 continued Wednesday and Mazzulla long ago established a system that relies on his players to diagnosis things happening on the floor, raise solutions and play with freedom. The Heat's game plan clearly comes more from the bench, as Spoelstra expressed with frustration when asked whether Miami's shift to zone comes from the court on from the coaches. Boston has done it the opposite way. 

Spoelstra now nearly 30 years into his NBA coaching career and his team's main advantage in this series. He can't even remember the days where he entered his role for Miami under similar circumstances, and while the days where he oversaw the most talented team in the NBA against some skepticism only came just over one decade ago, he never faced an coaching foe as seasoned as himself, as much as he downplays its role in this series. The Celtics probably won't lose this series, but the tone it sets for the playoffs could make or break Mazzulla's NBA coaching future. 

"It's tough for me to really remember," Spoelstra said. "I'm not that old, but people think our first playoff runs with our coaching staff was during the big three. It wasn't. We had two playoff runs before that, but we were knocked out in the first round, so a lot of people weren't paying attention. Joe is a very thoughtful coach. He puts a lot of time into it. He was a very good assistant coach, so he was well-prepared to go into that and then if you go into an organization where there are big expectations, you learn and do things probably five times quicker than maybe other places, because you have those playoff experiences and expectations, and that's the best way to learn." 

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

Boston (tied 1-1 vs. Miami): Allowed a shocking 24 wide-open threes to the Heat, according to NBA tracking data, that Miami shot 41.7% on while burying 23 total to shock the Celtics in Game 2 in Boston on Wednesday. The Celtics hit 22 in Sunday's series opener, which became a 30-point blowout in the fourth quarter, though the Heat rallied throughout and to within 14 minutes after facing their largest deficit. Boston remains heavy favorites over a Miami team riddled with injuries, though the Celtics acknowledged in the aftermath that they need to adjust to the Heat's shift toward playing the shooting variance game. Kristaps Porzingis struggled immensely in Game 2, shooting 1-for-9 while facing foul trouble guarding Bam Adebayo. Luke Kornet (calf) is probable to return for Saturday's Game 3 (6 p.m.) after missing the first two games. 

"What are the things you can control first? That's the most important thing," Joe Mazzulla said. "Our offensive execution ... our transition defense ... (and) a decent percentage of those threes ... Game 1 and Game 2 were two completely different games, so you have to be ready, in the middle of the game, to make those quick adjustments, whether it's individual or whether it's schematically, on both ends of the floor." 

Brooklyn: Introduced new head coach Jordi Fernandez, who prioritized building around upcoming free agent Nic Claxton and GM Sean Marks said retaining Claxton is the team's No. 1 offseason priority. Fernandez, who will continue leading Team Canada this summer into the Olympics, said he expects results to happen right away for the Nets. Former Michigan head coach Juwan Howard will reportedly join his staff while Marks noted that Ben Simmons (back), who's entering the final season of his contract, will be ready for the start of next season after undergoing another surgery this spring. 

Charlotte: ESPN analyst JJ Redick reportedly emerged as a real candidate to become the Hornets' head coach after building a successful media profile and company since his retirement from playing. While reported Charlotte targets Charles Lee and David Andelman remain available, it'll be intriguing to see if losing options like Jordi Fernandez and Kevin Young lead the Hornets to make an outside-the-box hire. Redick, who has no formal coaching experience, could go through another interview, according to Shams Charania. Redick almost joined Joe Mazzulla's first coaching staff in 2022-23.

Chicago: GM Artūras Karnišovas previewed changes to come this offseason after the Bulls missed a second consecutive postseason after executing no player trades again in a drought that goes back to 2021. Their offseason began early, addressing the coaching staff that Billy Donovan appears poised to lead again in 2024-25. Assistants Chris Fleming and Maurice Cheeks will not return to the Bulls' bench next year. Upgrades to the front of the bench could come from the back, according to reports. Keeping DeMar DeRozan is in their plan, reportedly offering two-years, $40 million.

Cleveland (lead 2-1 vs. ORL): Blown out after the series shifted to Orlando, losing by 38 points while their offense struggled, posting only 83 points. Darius Garland shot 2-for-10, the Cavs managed only eight threes on 23.5% efficiency and only four players reached double-figures. The Cavaliers had beaten the Magic in Game 1, 97-83, and Game 2, 96-86, but their offense falling to 41.6% from the field and 27.2% from three through three games played into Orlando's hand as the Magic tried to grind out a defensive series. Dean Wade (knee) will miss the rest of the first round. The winner of Cavs-Magic would advance to play the Celtics in the second round. 

Dallas (lead 2-1 vs. LAC): PJ Washington scored 10 points with three steals and a block, taunting the Clippers before his ejection in Friday's win that showcased how different these Mavericks could prove. Frontcourt mate Daniel Gafford recorded three blocks while Luka Dončić posted 22 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists through knee stiffness that emerged. A slight concern entering Game 4 on Sunday, Dallas has stifled LA's offense and unless their unit stalls too, they're in great position to beat the Clippers on their third playoff try with Kawhi Leonard limited on the opposing side. 

"Not good, I felt it before I hit the knee," Dončić said. "It’s pretty stiff right now, but we’ll know more tomorrow ... you know me, I’ll try to go anyway."

Denver (lead 3-0 vs. LAL): Nikola Jokić and Aaron Gordon combined for 53 points, 30 rebounds and 12 assists, battering the Lakers' front line to improve to 7-0 across their playoff series over the past two seasons. They overcame a 20-point third-quarter deficit to steal Game 2 after coming back from an early Lakers lead in Game 1 too. The dominance of Jokić, averaging 27.7 PPG, 15.7 RPG and 8.7 APG on 63.5% shooting, led the way despite a slow start to the playoffs for Jamal Murray (37.7% FG) and from three for Denver as a team (26.9%). Reggie Jackson suffered a left ankle injury in Game 3 and reportedly left the game in crutches and a boot. Game 4 is Saturday at 8:30 EST. 

Golden State: Steph Curry won Clutch Player of the Year over DeMar DeRozan and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander in a close vote. De'Aaron Fox clinched the award last season, when the NBA gave it out for the first time while naming it after Jerry West. Keeping Klay Thompson and Moses Moody will become offseason priorities for GM Mike Dunleavy Jr., while Chris Paul's final season on his contract is non-guaranteed. Waiving him is an easy way to shed $30-million in salary, but becomes a downgrade in the team's talent. Curry said on TNT he doesn't think the team is far away from winning again. 

"There's going to be some tweaks, we know," he said. "When you lose, you have to look yourself in the mirror and say 'What can we do to get better, what holes can we fill.' Thankfully, we have some time to figure that out. A lot of conversations upstairs with coach (Steve) Kerr to try to figure out how to get back to that level that we expect."

Indiana (lead 2-1 vs. MIL): Tyrese Haliburton hit a three-point floater to bury the Bucks in overtime after squandering a late fourth-quarter lead when Khris Middleton hit a shot to tie the game. Haliburton scored the fourth playoff triple-double in Pacers history with 18 points, 10 rebounds and 16 assists, but finished 1-for-12 from three as his second-half shooting struggles continued. Aaron Nesmith nearly delivered the game-winner with a corner three to break a tie before Middleton and Haliburton's makes, the former Celtic also managing a 3-for-13 shooting lull. Indiana fell to 30.1% three-point shooting in the win, either a positive sign they could heat up and quickly take the series or something the Bucks, 37% from deep, could take advantage of to come back. New Indiana Fever star Caitlin Clark hyped up the crowd before the game. The series is giving Nesmith a chance to guard his mentor Middleton. 

“He made two hellacious shots already,” Nesmith said after Middleton launched and missed a final buzzer beater down three. “In my mind, I was (thinking), ‘Do not foul.’ Just make it as tough as possible and hope he misses.”

Clippers (trail 1-2 vs. DAL): Kawhi Leonard's knee reportedly did not respond well after Game 2, scoring nine points in only 25 minutes in a Game 3 loss to the Mavs where Russell Westbrook received an ejection for his scuffle with PJ Washington. Westbrook scored one point on 0-for-7 shooting as LA's season now appears at risk. Ty Lue said Leonard will be available for Game 4, but it's unclear how much he can contribute with his current health status. James Harden is the lone Clippers perimeter player shooting well in the series and without Paul George rolling (40% FG), LA doesn't have the wing depth to make up for Leonard's woes. 

Miami (tied 1-1 vs. BOS): Proved their adaptability and coaching prowess by switching more and winning the three-point margin to stun the Celtics in Game 2 without Jimmy Butler and Terry Rozier. While their series odds remain long, Butler (MCL) is expected to miss the entire series and Rozier (neck) remains without an update, the Heat stole home court and found belief after Game 1, where they looked completely overmatched. Their turnovers, lack of offensive rebounding and inability to create free throws could cause problems when their three-point shooting comes back to earth, but as Brian Barrett noted on The Garden Report after Game 2, Miami shot the second-best percentage (41.3%) on wide open threes during the regular season.

Milwaukee (trail 1-2 vs. IND): Giannis Antetokounmpo (calf) remained out in Game 3 and two weeks into a 2-4 week prognosis for his injury, according to Shams Charania, which places his first-round availability in some doubt. Charania, along with other reports, noted that Antetokounmpo dealt with an achilles injury earlier in the season, and while a calf strain isn't statistically associated with Achilles tears, the relation between different parts of the body will force the Bucks to proceed with caution in bringing him back. Antetokounmpo shot and moved around at practice on Thursday, but didn't take part in live drills. Khris Middleton, who suffered an ankle injury in Milwaukee's Game 2 loss, returned for Game 3 and scored 42 points in 41 minutes with 10 rebounds and five assists in the loss, shaking off his ailment while Damian Lillard aggravated his Achilles, briefly taking him out of the game. Doc Rivers said Lillard could only be used as a diversion when he returned. 

"We're gonna get back and just have to get ahead of it because that's not something that you want to play with," Lillard said. "We have a couple of days to start and try to get ahead of it. Get it feeling better and get ready for (Game 4 on) Sunday." 

Minnesota (lead 3-0 vs. PHX): Wolves center Naz Reid won Sixth Man of the Year in a tight vote with Kings guard Malik Monk, whose season-ending injury late in the regular season undoubtedly impacted his heavy favorite status from before. Reid won the vote, 352-342, receiving 45 first-place votes to Monk's 43 while finishing with the same second and third-place selections. Bobby Portis, Norman Powell and Bogdan Bogdanovic also received significant votes. Wolves owner Glen Taylor and the purchasing group led by Marc Lore and Alex Rodriguez will move to mediation to determine the outcome of their failed sale, which Taylor recently asserted will not move forward due to Lore and Rodriguez' missed payment deadline.

New Orleans (trail 0-2 vs. OKC): Zion Williamson (hamstring) is unlikely to return during the first round as the Pelicans return to New Orleans with their season on the brink following a 32-point Game 2 loss in Oklahoma City. CJ McCollum missed a chance to win Game 1 at the buzzer with an off-balance three, shooting 41.7% from the field so far while Brandon Ingram struggles at 37% (0-2 3PT). They've only hit 18 threes combined over two games. 

New York (lead 2-1 vs. PHI): Pulled off a miracle at home in Game 2 after Josh Hart and Isaiah Hartenstein recovered a pair of loose balls to set up Donte DiVincenzo's game-winning three in the final seconds of the thriller. The NBA later admitted that officials missed multiple foul calls during the scramble and Nick Nurse's attempt to call timeout. New York went on to fall in Joel Embiid's 50-point Game 3, while Mitchell Robinson (ankle) left the game in a boot on the same foot that cost him 50 games to surgery during the regular season. Ian Begley reported Robinson's status is up in the air for Game 4, while the Knicks blasted Embiid's foul, grabbing at Robinson's legs from the floor while he leaped for a rebound, which officials ruled and defended as a flagrant one instead of a two. Game 4 is Sunday at 1 p.m. in Philadelphia. 

Oklahoma City (lead 2-0 vs. NOP): Could roll in the first round after a Game 2 blowout that featured Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's playoff career 33 points on 13-for-19 shooting. Chet Holmgren posted 26 points and seven rebounds in his playoff breakout, while the Thunder have continued their hot shooting from the regular season with a 39.3% efficiency from three between Games 1-2. Jalen Williams joined Gilgeous-Alexander and Holmgren as Oklahoma City's third 20.0 PPG scorer in the home games. Game 3 is Saturday at 3:30 p.m. 

Orlando (trail 1-2 vs. CLE): Paolo Banchero and Jalen Suggs emerged from an abysmal offensive Magic start in two losses at Cleveland to combine for 55 points, 18 rebounds and eight assists in only their 14th game reaching 121 points this season. Banchero improved to 49.2% from the field through three games, while Franz Wagner (40.9%), Jonathan Isaac (35%), Gary Harris (26.3%) and Cole Anthony (22.2%) have struggled immensely while Orlando averaged 96.7 PPG on 44% FG (27.5% 3PT). Game 4 is Saturday at 1 p.m. 

Philadelphia (trail 1-2 vs. NYK): Joel Embiid scored 50 points on 13-for-19 shooting in 41 minutes on his injured knee to save the 76ers' season, continuing his first-round dominance despite multiple obvious tweaks and moments where his health has suffered. Embiid also reportedly suffered a minor case of Bell's palsy, impacting the left side of his face and causing blurry vision. Embiid has averaged 37.7 PPG, 8.7 RPG and 5.3 APG on 47.1% shooting through three games. Kelly Oubre Jr., who was injured in a mysterious bike accident earlier this season, ran a red light, according to police, resulting in a car crash on Monday that resulted in no citations. Philadelphia Police are now reportedly investigating whether Oubre received preferential treatment following the incident. 

"I'm just trying to keep pushing," Embiid said. "Like I said, I'm not going to quit. Even if it's on one leg, I'm still going to go out there and try. But no, that's not an excuse. Gotta keep playing better and better and better. Tonight I got lucky. I made a few shots. Gotta find a way to rebound, and I don't even care about rebounds. I just gotta make sure that my man doesn't get it, and then box out my man and take him out of the play." 

Phoenix (trail 0-3 vs. MIN): Lost to another relentless Anthony Edwards effort while they produced little outside of Devin Booker (23), Kevin Durant (25) and Bradley Beal (28) in Game 3 as the series turned home. Minnesota produced six double-figure scoring nights from its players while depth again killed the Suns, who have only found limited scoring from Eric Gordon (8.7 PPG), Jusuf Nurkić (7.3) and Drew Eubanks (5.7). Trade deadline addition Royce O'Neale hasn't produced while Grayson Allen missed the likely decisive loss with an ankle injury. The Wolves, led by Edwards with 28.0 PPG, have had seven players average double-figures through three games. This series that looked deadlocked could become the lone sweep. 

Washington: Interim head coach Brian Keefe could remain in his role as the Wizards are expected to retain him in some capacity while assessing their future. That would leave the Hornets as the only current head coach opening across the NBA prior to the end of the first round. The Wizards let go most of Keefe's assistant coaching staff, which included holdovers from Wes Unseld Jr.'s tenure, which ended earlier in the season when he moved into the team's front office.