NEW YORK — It was all New York Knicks on Friday night, as a 119-81 win propelled them to an Eastern Conference finals birth in place of the defending champion Boston Celtics. Yet when it came time for Joe Mazzulla to break down the game—and season—he delivered the same perspective he’s become known for.
“If you're gonna be coaching for a long time, you're gonna have a lot more heartbreaks than you are joyful moments, if you look at the perspective,” he said. “That's just how it goes. When you step into the arena and you go after something, that's how it works.”
NEW YORK — It was all New York Knicks on Friday night, as a 119-81 win propelled them to an Eastern Conference finals birth in place of the defending champion Boston Celtics. Yet when it came time for Joe Mazzulla to break down the game—and season—he delivered the same perspective he’s become known for.
“If you're gonna be coaching for a long time, you're gonna have a lot more heartbreaks than you are joyful moments, if you look at the perspective,” he said. “That's just how it goes. When you step into the arena and you go after something, that's how it works.”
Mazzulla entered the press conference room after the game, hopping over the small platform full of camera stands and sitting down in front of roughly 25 media members. Every question was carefully concocted, knowing it may very well be the last time the Celtics head coach addressed the press as the leader of this specific group.
There was no anger, there was no sadness, there was no lashing out. It was pure acceptance. Consistent praise for the Knicks mixed with the admittance that Boston simply wasn’t good enough. “You gotta tip your hat off to the Knicks,” said Mazzulla.
“I’m happy for Thibs,” he added.
What happens to the Celtics know?
That’s the next question on everybody’s mind. With impending CBA issues looming and Jayson Tatum’s long road to recovery after rupturing his Achilles in Game 5, there are no guarantees about the future.
The Celtics have one of the most expensive rosters in NBA history. Change seems inevitable. And with Tatum likely sidelined for a large chunk of next season (if not the entire year), rumblings will quickly flood in.
From free agency to the NBA draft to the trade market, next season’s Celtics will be formed, and there’s a huge chance that the group looks completely different from the one that stepped onto the floor in Game 6.
But the NBA moves on. The Celtics move on. There is no end. Only change.
There will be more championships to compete for, more playoff runs to survive, and more heartbreaks to deal with.
That’s an issue for another day. For the time being, the Celtics will head into the offseason while the Knicks and Indiana Pacers, who Boston beat last season, square off in the Conference Finals.
The future is the future. And this is far from the final heartbreak the Celtics will suffer.
But more joyful moments may be in the pipeline, too.
