Joe Mazzulla Speaks Ahead of Game 5 of NBA Finals
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The Boston Celtics remain one win away from their 18th NBA Championship.
The Celtics were unable to close out the series in Game 4 of the NBA Finals, falling 122-84 to the Dallas Mavericks at American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the media on Sunday afternoon to preview Game 5 and talk about what the Celtics need to do differently.
Mazzulla was asked about joining the legacy of Celtics coaches who have won championships.
“That’ll never happen if we don’t run back on defense, rebound, execute, and get to your spacing," Mazzulla said. "That's the most important thing."
Mazzulla talked about Kristaps Porzingis' status ahead of Game 5.
"I haven't talked to him yet, I'm going to talk to him before we start," Mazzulla said. "I'm not sure where he's at but he's trying. He's doing everything he can to try and put himself in a position to be out there. I know that for sure."
Mazzulla talked about the things Boston does on the defensive end of the floor and how much of it is gameplan-based.
"There's multiple layers to that," Mazzulla said. "Obviously there's game planning and execution but that can change once the game begins. One side of the ball is heavily dictated by the other. One of the things we've freed our minds to this year is making reads."
Game 5
The Celtics will look to finish the job in Game 5 of the NBA Finals on Monday. Tipoff is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and ABC will carry the broadcast.