In their first loss of the 2022-23 NBA season, the Boston Celtics had a painful reminder that old habits die hard. After a scorching start to their game against the Chicago Bulls, Boston took its foot off the pedal and blew a 19-point lead in the first quarter. The Celtics’ offense grew stagnant, and the Bulls ran away with the game in the blink of an eye.
What made matters worse was the team’s reaction to officiating. After tensions rose and escalated, Joe Mazzulla was issued back-to-back techs and ejected. Not too long after, Grant Williams was issued back-to-back fouls during possessions, and as he got up, he bumped into an official and was tossed from the game as well.
In a game they needed to regain their cool and composure, the Celtics let their offensive struggles and officiating dictate how they were going to play, and their emotions got the better of them.
After bouts of stuff like this over the past few seasons, is it safe to say the Celtics have an attitude problem when it comes to officiating? Take a look at the clip above to hear what the hosts of the CLNS Media “Garden Report” podcast had to say on the matter.
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
