Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Al Horford x Coach Mazzulla React To Celtics Game 3 vs Heat | 2023 ECF

Joe, the biggest game of the season, a game you had to have, and you guys just looked completely lost after the first six minutes. What exactly happened out there? I just didn't have them ready to play. Over the last 48 hours? Yeah, I just didn't have them ready to play. I should have, whatever it was, whether it was the starting lineup, whether it was an adjustment, just I have to get them in a better place, ready to play, and that's on me. Joe, you've always been very level whenever things are going well, going poorly. At some point tonight, did you just really let them have it and show all the emotion that you have? And at this moment, do you feel like you need to show that to save the season? I think the most important thing is just sticking together, and then I have to be better. I gotta put them in better positions. I gotta get them ready to play. I have to have the game plan ready for us to be physical and to execute, and it's important that we stick together. Joe, Jalen's talked about struggling to attack the mismatches in this series, and 0 for 7 from three tonight. What do you just see from his game offensively now that for him to break out of the struggles he's in? I think just continue to take what the defense gives him, whether it's the threes. I thought he got really good looks, whether it's getting out in transition and just reading our spacing and making the right play. Joe, in the third quarter, particularly, you guys got down to 12 at one point. They came back for a run, and it seemed like there wasn't much fight after that. How disappointing was it in your eyes just from the effort standpoint at that point in the game when things weren't going your guys' way seemingly? Yeah, it's on me to be better for them so that they play harder. Joe, I'm sorry. You keep saying it's on you, but can you be more specific? Was it the speech making? Was it the plays? Yeah, I just didn't have them ready to play. I just didn't execute the proper game plan. I didn't put them in the right mentality to be ready, and it's my job to make sure that they're connected and that they're ready to play, and I didn't do that. So, in the privacy of your locker room, were you too loud, not loud enough? I'm just looking for some... Yeah, I don't know. At the time, you think you say what needs to be said, but at the same time, I just have to be better. I gotta make sure when we step on that floor that we're ready to execute. We're ready to be physical. We're ready to play harder than the other team. That's my job. Joe, you said after game two it was mental. Obviously, that took place, or after game, that took place tonight. Why are you guys getting demoralized by the fact that they're hitting shots? It seems like everything you do, they have a counter for. Is that just demoralizing your guys on the floor that they seem like they're trying everything and nothing is working? Yeah, I think it starts with we gotta defend, we have to get stops, we have to execute, and yes, when you do not execute on the defensive end and they make shots, then it affects the way you play offense. So, we just have to put our identity into our defensive execution first. Joe, this seems to be a continuation of the regular season where teams that have been below you in the standings, you guys have had some struggles against that. Is this an issue of just bad habits from the regular season showing themselves at the worst time? I think it's, regardless of the roster, we're playing against a great team, we're a great team, and right now, they have a mentality and we don't, and we have to get that back. Joe, the offense, it seemed like if you were in half court, you guys would run an action, maybe one, two, and get to the first shot you could find. This team at its best has always shown the patience to keep moving the ball, have actual motion to eventually open something up. We saw Miami did that. Why do you think you weren't able to do that tonight and really for a lot of the series? Just not creating an advantage fast enough for the shot clock to help us get to that. Joe, as far as some of the defensive breakdowns go, Caleb Martin shooting 50% from three in the series, it feels like he's getting left open a lot of the time on the weak side. What's leading to that? In game one, he did. We changed the matchup in game two and three to where we have a smaller guy on him looking to make sure that he doesn't do that. But at times, if you want a double butler or if you get put two on the ball with a shooter, he ends up being the guy that you shift off of. So we just have to be more disciplined in the first level of our defense to where we don't have those breakdowns. You guys have been one of the best defensive teams for the last couple of years, last few years, really. Has some of that been lost? And tonight, what went into the heat having so much success against your defense? I couldn't hear the second part of that. And tonight, what went into the heat having so much success against your defense? Yeah, I think some of that defensive identity has been lost and we have to get that back. And that's where part of that is on me to make sure we get that back. Joe, besides your responsibility, any of the star players, they also have some responsibility. What can they do in order to get the team ready to play? No, it starts with me. I have to be better. Kind of along those lines, Joe, like whenever these guys are up here, they take ownership. And especially when things are going wrong, they say, hey, we're the ones shooting the ball. We're the ones playing defense. This is on us. This isn't our coach. Do you kind of want them to take that ownership? And is that something that can even translate onto the court? I think they're doing everything they can to be in position. We just have to be better. Joe, Tatum and Brown were held to 12 with 35 shooting tonight. How tough have the Heat and their defense, their defensive principles made it on them to be effective for you guys? Yeah, we don't get out in the first six seconds and create advantage and we don't get those. It makes it difficult to play against a set defense later in the shot clock. And that's kind of where we're having to struggle is we're not dictating the pace with those early offensive advantages. You said you thought the defensive identity has been lost. When did that happen? What have you seen that shows you that the defensive identity is gone right now? Just these last couple games. I think just the execution. We're just, we're not connected. Usually at our best, we're connected, we're together. We're physical on a defensive end and we just, we don't have that right now. Joe, I don't want to say that you lost this team, but is there a disconnect between you and the players at this point? Is there something not quite working that might've worked in February or January that you're not telling them to lose by 28 points, but they're, and you're telling them to try. So is there a disconnect? Yeah, that's where I have to be better is figure out what this team needs to make sure that they're connected, they're physical and they're together by the time we step on the floor. Who do you think caused that disconnect? Not sure. What do you do over the next two days to try to get all of this, as you said, to get this back to where you need it to be after what obviously is a pretty demoralizing loss going into what could be the last game of the season? Yeah, the most important thing is how can we get our defensive identity? How can we get just a clear understanding of what it looks like on an offensive end and just keep it as simple as we can so that we're connected and we're physical and we play with the right mindset and we play together. Thank you, Joe. Thank you. Al, in your opinion, what went wrong here? And second part of my question is, Joe Mazzullo says that you guys have lost your defensive identity. Do you agree with that? What's your response to that? Yeah. Definitely, we let their runs affect us early on, I feel like. And we had some just bad turnovers early on that really hurt us. As far as the defense goes, for whatever reason, we have lost it. Not doing as good a job as we can. So the challenge is this year that we've been able to bounce back and figure it out. And our backs are against the wall now, so that's something that we have to do. Al, you guys have come through in those moments and this game felt like a must win. What was different about tonight? Yeah. I obviously expected more from our group and we just didn't have it like we needed to. They got going, they hit some tough shots and that's the way it goes sometimes. But in the past, we haven't let that affect us and I feel like today it did. Al, the coach said that he didn't have the team enough ready to play. Do you feel like the star players and veterans have some responsibility and what could they do or have they tried to do to get the team ready? No. Coach is saying that he's being generous, but at the end of the day, that falls on each player. We know what we have to do. We knew the magnitude of this game. And as a player, I take responsibility because we didn't have what we needed to have. So that's what that is. Al, it seemed like you guys were demoralized out there, discouraged, some people say quit. What happened out there? Is there a disconnect with this team? Are you, is there just something not right that might've been right a few months ago? And are you sensing that you guys are kind of just cracking? I think we're just having some adversity. I think it's tough. It's gotten tough for us. We've dealt with adversity all year. And right now, you know, I personally felt that before the game, we had the right mindset. And, you know, sometimes you want something so bad and things just don't go as you plan. But it was tougher for us tonight. There's no question about it. But this is a part of our journey right now. And right now we're in a low, low, and rightfully so, we're being counted out because we haven't been able to respond. But we're not out yet. You know, it is 3-0. I know what it looks like. I think I saw it the other day, 0 and 149 or something like that. So, but we're not out yet. We're still kicking. One of four teams, they're still kicking. Ado, you just mentioned the statistics. Obviously, it doesn't favor you. But what do you have to do to change, to come back this Tuesday and to be able to get the first win? Re-focus. We have to re-focus. Know who we are. We, in my eyes, were the best team in the league all year. The most consistent team. And we have a good team. Pretty good. And unfortunately, we're going through a bit of adversity. And I know that right now, no one wants to hear that. And maybe they're ending the series. But we have to play the games. And now the challenge for us is to prepare for Tuesday. Put this behind us and prepare for Tuesday. Al, you had a passionate speech during a timeout. I want to say when the league got to 18, before halftime. What was some of the things that you told your team and after the fact, just now in the locker room, anything you said about this loss? Anything related to what you were just saying right now? You know, after the game, it's just hard to talk and say there's a lot of emotions, different things going on. But the biggest thing for our group is for us to remain together. And through good or bad, we're a group that we stay together. And that's been the key to our success here. And right now, it's not looking so great, but that's my message to the group. Al, greetings. Juan Carlos Guerrero for Hispanic Sports Media. Last year, the Celtics' team made a lot of contrast with this year's. You're a player with a lot of experience and a lot of ability to analyze and understand the game. What do you think is going on? What are they failing at? Why is there so much contrast between this year's team and last year's team? Thank you. Yes, good question. The reality is that we're two different teams, but this year... We've had a good year, but we have to give credit to Miami as well. They're playing very well. They're playing well, they're doing things with a good rhythm, they have a very defined plan. And they've been able to execute a little better than us. And we've played the first two games. I feel like we played well. Obviously, today we got out of hand. Playing on the road is a little different. But the challenge for us is to refocus. And we have an opportunity to go out on Tuesday and extend the series. At one point, you guys cut the lead down to 12 in that third quarter and they came right back with a big run. And it seemed like after that, the effort kind of waned a little bit team-wise. Do you feel like the frustration kind of built up for you guys at this point? And was it tough to just see that happen in a game of this magnitude where things seemed to build up on you guys? Yeah, that definitely was tough because I felt like at that moment, our offense hurt our defense. We weren't hitting shots and then we weren't getting back on defense. And we have to understand that our DNA, our core as a team is on the defensive end. That's who we are. And that's something that we have to find if we wanna come back and win this series. Thank you, Mel. Thank you. Jalen, you guys have always taken pride in being a prideful team, but it seemed like there was some quit out there tonight. What happened and when did the disconnection happen? It just seems like you guys are not on the same page chemistry-wise with the coach, schemes, all the above. I don't even know where to start. It's obvious letdown. I feel like we let our fan base organization down. We let ourselves down and it was collective. We can point fingers, but in reality, it was just embarrassing. Jalen, Joe Mazzullo says that you guys lost your defensive identity. Do you agree with that? And if so, where do you think that started? Where did that disconnect started? I'm not sure. Give credit to the Miami Heat, man. Those guys are playing unbelievable right now. And we just seemed to couldn't get stops. Those guys are hitting shots and playing well, playing with confidence. And we allowed them to have that. Jalen, what will it take from you and Tatum and even a veteran like Al to get the team ready? What can you say or do on and off the court to get them ready for game four? We just got to come out and play basketball, come out with a great mentality, come out and have some pride about yourself, come out and have some pride about who you're playing for, have some pride about whatever and just come out and play basketball. I believe we can win the next one. So we just got to come out and play. Jalen, when you guys have had defensive success in the past, everyone's been able to just go make the play and trust that the person behind them is going to continue to fill the chain. So do you feel like you guys have kind of lost that trust and that confidence that it's going to be whatever you do, someone behind you is going to help you do the job? Our defense hasn't been, you know, especially what it was last year, but we've had tremendous strides in different directions and we've been able to, you know, find ways to win basketball games. I don't think that was the issue here. Yeah, we struggled to get stops, but to their credit, they're playing well above their means. They're balling right now and I got to give them respect. Gabe Vincent, Martin, Struce, Duncan Robinson, you know, guys that we should be able to keep under control are playing their ass off. You had a play earlier in the game where there was some sort of action brewing, it wasn't really working, so you just turned and fired like a 35-footer. It just seemed throughout the game that you guys would just kind of take the first shot that could come to you. So what do you think is missing that allowed you guys, especially earlier in the year, to be able to turn a defense and create open looks? I think last year, you know, last year is over. I don't know. We're just fine. We just couldn't get stops tonight. Jalen, with us, Joe kind of put the loss on himself. He said he didn't have you guys ready to play. What's your response to hearing that? I think it's a collective effort. Jalen, are you guys thinking too much, feeling too much pressure, putting too much pressure on yourselves? I don't think so. I think we've been here before. I don't know. You guys have often been at your best when your backs are against the walls and you're fighting off elimination or whatever. Tonight, why did you think that slipped away? I'm not sure. I think Miami played extremely well. They made shots. We didn't make shots that put pressure on us. And it was just tough after that. You know, they're coming out. They're together. They're physical. You know, they set the tone and we didn't match the energy, you know? And it was a complete letdown, to be frank, you know? Jalen, starting with Aimee's dismissal and all of what you've been through this season as a team, is this kind of thing mentally just coming to a head where you see the ending and it just seems like you guys are kind of just maybe throwing in the towel or just not, don't quite have the energy to finish this run? I don't think so. I would hope not. You know, I don't, that's not what I'm about. I'm gonna fight to the end. So we're gonna try to get our guys ready for the next game when we come out and we put our best foot forward. And at the end of the day, that's what we gotta do. And that's just how I see it. Series isn't over yet. It's looking bad, but, you know, you come out, have some pride about yourself and put your best foot forward. Thank you, Jalen. Jason. Jason, is there anything about the Miami Heat team that has surprised you during this series? And as the best player on the team, what can you do on and off the court to get the team ready and change the momentum of the series? Yeah, I think just as tough as it is, as tonight was, we just gotta try to move on. Prepare, get ready, you know, practice, film and stuff for tomorrow. And, you know, obviously we're in a tough position, but, you know, we just gotta have some pride, bounce back and just be better come Tuesday. Jason, it appeared like you guys gave up in the third quarter once they made that big run. And what happened out there emotionally? Are you guys disconnected? Is there something going on in the locker room or something that you're sensing that's slipping away because it seemed like you guys let go of the rope tonight? Yeah, tonight was tough. You know, I think from the beginning of the game, we was turning the ball over. We didn't shoot the ball well. They shot the ball extremely well. And it just kind of felt like we never recovered, honestly. And that's on all of us as a unit. You know, we didn't play well at all. And obviously by the score, it showed. Jason, you and Jalen combined to shoot 12 to 35 from the field. The team shot 40% from the field. How tough have the Heat and their defensive principals made it on you guys in a game like this with your backs on the wall? Yeah, I didn't shoot the ball well at all tonight. But, you know, I think we got some open looks coming off the pick and roll, getting doubled, hitting over the top, playing four on three. You know, we just didn't shoot the ball well at all. We couldn't hit anything. And I mean, give them credit, they're a really good defensive team. You know, they play hard, they communicate. But, you know, we had a lot of open looks tonight that, you know, we normally make. Jason, it seems like they've just been playing at a different speed than you guys in the first three games. Have you guys maybe underestimated how much effort they were gonna put forth and how well they were gonna play? I don't think so. You know, we're familiar with this team. You know, we played them a third time now in the playoffs. We know how hard they play and, you know, the pace that they move. And, you know, the first two games, you know, we've had double-digit leads. You know, we played well for most of it. We've just had, you know, a couple minutes here and there where, you know, it really hurt us. Obviously tonight we didn't play well at all. But I don't think, you know, surprised by the pace that they play at. Jason, do you guys think you can make history and come back and win this series? How confident you are? Yeah. You know, we better be, right? But we know it's tough. You know, we're not looking down the road. We're just looking to get ready to bounce back and play better come Tuesday. Try to get a win. Jason, it seemed like, we're hearing a lot of the officiating kind of bothered you guys at points. Obviously you guys missed a lot of shots in the game, but when the effort kind of went away for you guys in the third quarter, how surprising was that from your standpoint in a game at this magnitude that you guys kind of let go of the rope like that? Yeah, I mean, just being transparent is unfortunate. You know, we obviously wanted to come out, perform better, play better, have a different outcome, or at least give ourselves a chance. And, you know, it was tough. For whatever reason, we didn't have it tonight. And, you know, this point of the season, you know, you don't want to say that, but, you know, that's on us. As a unit, we didn't play well. Jason, the season is not over yet, but the mentality for the game four, maybe another plan? Yeah, definitely play better than we did tonight. And, you know, have some pride, obviously. And, you know, believe that, you know, we just got to win on Tuesday. That's just the message, the mentality that we have, is, you know, get a win on Tuesday. And, you know, we'll figure the rest out from there. Jason, you guys have obviously been good in these situations throughout, like even your time here, like the kind of backs against the wall, not being routed by road games. Where do you think things kind of went south in this one? And did you see any, like, any signs of it? Did this feel any different even coming into it? Coming into it, no. And, you know, it's two sides of this. They played well tonight. You know, they came out the gates firing. You know, they shot the ball extremely well from the field and from the three. We didn't, and just kind of like a snowball effect. And, you know, normally we respond. When, you know, team's going to a run, we respond. But, you know, tonight shots weren't falling. And, you know, I think we let that affect us a little too much, honestly. Joe said he thought that some of your defensive identity has been lost. Where have you seen the slippage in that? And why haven't you guys been able to rely on the defense that really carried you to the finals last season? Yeah, I think we just gotta be connected more. I think, you know, five guys all on the same page, competing at the same level, talking, and just, you know, being there for one another, right? Every possession is not perfect. You know, you're going to get beat, you know. Mistakes happen, but we just have to do a better job of, you know, being there for one another, having each other's back, and just being a little bit more connected on defense. Jason, the narrative over the next 48 hours will be that you guys quit, and you guys are not the team that people thought you were, and you're not the star, Jason, all of that. How do you ignore that over the next two days and try to focus on winning a game after such a poor performance? I deleted Twitter from my phone to start the playoff, so, honestly, I haven't seen anything good, bad, or indifferent, you know, since game one against the Hawks. So, you know, I'm certain after every game you win, you're the best player in the best team, and, you know, when you lose, you're not the star, and the team's not good enough. So, I'm certain there'll be some of that, but, you know, out of sight, out of mind. You know, you don't see it, because that's not what's important. What's important is, you know, the guys in the locker room, teammates, coaches, and, you know, we all in this together just trying to figure it out.