Joe Mazzulla issues warning to NBA after Celtics blowout over Hawks

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said something that should terrify the rest of the NBA after blowing out the Atlanta Hawks — they can play better.

The first-round of the 2023 NBA playoffs officially began on Saturday, and the Boston Celtics were in action.

Looking to make a return to the NBA Finals after losing in six games to the Golden State Warriors last year, the Celtics opened up against the Atlanta Hawks, who earned the seventh seed after beating the Miami Heat in the play-in tournament.

Let’s just say that Boston didn’t struggle.

On Saturday, Boston cruised to a 112-99 victory over Atlanta, behind 20+ point performances by Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Derrick White.

After the game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said something that should terrify the rest of the NBA — they could have played better even after winning. Specifically, Mazzulla said he thought the team lost “their offensive purpose in the second half,” but chuckled after sarcastically saying “I’m very concerned.”

Joe Mazzulla thinks Celtics can play even better after Game 1 win over Hawks

In the first half of the game, the Celtics were able to successfully make 27-of-45 field goal attempts, giving them a 64-44 lead. As for the second half, Boston only made 15-of-43 shots from the field, while Atlanta made 22-of-50 shots.

Per NBA.com, Boston and Atlanta were even in terms of points in the paint (54 each). But the Celtics did have a narrow lead in second chance point with 16 as opposed to the Hawks’ 12. When it came to fast break chances, Atlanta significantly led Boston in points scored 17-4.

Brown scored 29 points while making 12-of-23 shots from the field, while recording 12 rebounds and three assists. Tatum, meanwhile made 10-of-23 shots, while hauling in 11 rebounds and dishing out two assists. White made the most of his shots, making 7-of-13 for 24 points, while recording seven assists and five rebounds.

Boston is expected to make a push to the NBA Finals once again, with the goal of winning their 18th title. First things first, they will have to get past Atlanta. Game 2 takes place on Tuesday, Apr. 18, airing on NBA TV at 7:00 p.m. ET.

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