Heading into the 2024 NBA All-Star break, the Boston Celtics were on a roll, coming off a 50-point win over the Brooklyn Nets for their sixth straight win. But Joe Mazzulla wasn't ready for the break. In fact, he was vehemently against it.
“I hate breaks,” Mazzulla said. “I wish there wasn't even halftime.”
Fast forward several months later, and the Celtics have had more chances than ever before: They swept the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals after five straight games against the Miami Heat and Cleveland Cavaliers, and they've been so dominant that they'll have to wait more than a week before facing the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals.
Boston's incredible playoff run came to an abrupt halt at the height of their success. After every series-winning streak, they were forced to sit on the sidelines and wait for their next opponent.
But the Celtics aren't just waiting around.
“Anything can be good or bad depending on how you use it,” Mazzulla said. “Time can be good or bad. It all depends on how you use time, how you weaponize it. And so we are weaponizing time right now.”
The Celtics will be working physically — players will be doing their normal workouts and the coaching staff will be helping them get better for the Finals — but the mental aspect will also be a key factor during the break.
“Just relax. Get out of the fight. Let the emotions go. [and] “Just letting our mental guard down, we've got to keep it up,” Mazzulla said, “so we're just going to wreak havoc in practice, stress the little things, work them hard in the film room and do everything we can to keep our guys competing.”
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Photo: Matt Stone/Boston Herald
At the same time, players can keep themselves locked in.
“I trust them,” Mazzulla said, “They're professionals. They've accomplished a lot, so there's not much I have to do because of who they are.”
In less than a week, the Celtics will be playing the biggest game of the season. This is what they've been striving for all year. They're right in front of them. But they can't play until the game starts.
The natural anxiety that comes with waiting has Boston more eager than ever to get on the court and compete.
“We're just understanding the situation right now. Obviously a couple days or nine days of rest is good for the body and the health of everybody, but we're in the NBA Finals and we're nervous and excited to go out there and play,” Jayson Tatum said.
“I wish we could have started a little earlier and gone for it. A lot of guys have been here before and we understand the importance of this moment. Stay sharp, stay fresh and stay ready.”
The Celtics have treated every game the same this season, a process of streamlining that has allowed them to stay in the moment and focus solely on the task at hand. It's this mindset that has helped them dominate like robots in the regular season and playoffs.
So as the waiting game continues, the Celtics are relying on everything that got them this far, because once games resume, those are the same things that will help them sprint across the finish line.
“this [break] “It's going to be a long road, but I think what we've done in the past rounds will definitely help us be mentally prepared and know what to do on our off time,” Derrick White said. “Our coaching staff has been great about what we need to focus on. We're just trying to go out there and compete every day with the right mindset.”
“So we've talked about it all year about not skipping steps, and that remains true now.”
