Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla pointed to offensive execution, live-ball turnovers and defensive mistakes as key factors in his team’s 121-113 loss to the Detroit Pistons on Tuesday.
Boston led by as many as 22 points early in the third quarter but could not prevent Detroit from completing the comeback. Mazzulla said the Celtics’ empty offensive possessions repeatedly gave the Pistons opportunities to score in transition.
“Some of our empty offensive possessions led to their transition, whether it was and-ones, transition threes by Green and Robinson,” Mazzulla said. “You take a look at those opportunities where we come up empty, whether it’s a poor rim read or we missed the read, and they take advantage of it in transition.”
Javonte Green scored 19 points after not playing in the first half, while Duncan Robinson added 21. Detroit also received 22 points apiece from Cade Cunningham and Jalen Duren.
Mazzulla said Boston’s mistakes included live-ball turnovers, missed opportunities around the rim and defensive lapses that allowed Detroit to build momentum. He also identified fouling jump shooters and unfavorable matchups in transition as problems the Celtics needed to address.
“We have to fix our offense to prevent some of those,” Mazzulla said when discussing Detroit’s 76 second-half points. He added that Boston needed to distinguish between points conceded because of offensive mistakes and those resulting from half-court defensive breakdowns.
Mazzulla was encouraged by Paul George’s performance in his Boston debut. George scored 38 points on 12-for-21 shooting, including seven three-pointers, as the nine-time All-Star provided an immediate offensive contribution.
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“Just comfort level. The game found him,” Mazzulla said. “He made some great reads throughout the game. It was good that he was able to find advantages for himself and for others and be aggressive.”
Jayson Tatum finished with 13 points and 11 assists but shot 6-for-23 from the field and missed all seven of his three-point attempts. Mazzulla defended Tatum’s shot selection, saying the forward had generated several good looks and missed multiple layups.
“I just want him to continue to make the right play,” Mazzulla said. “If he’s open, shoot it. I don’t care if he’s 0-for-10. If you’re open, shoot it.”
Mazzulla added that Boston wanted to use Tatum in different ways, including off-ball actions, pick-and-rolls and isolation situations.
The Celtics will look to respond Friday when they host the New York Knicks.
