Why Joe Mazzulla Broke Down Red Sox-Blue Jays Film For Celtics
The Boston Red Sox honored the NBA champion Boston Celtics at Fenway Park before a come-from-behind effort against the Toronto Blue Jays, which for some, provided a relaxing visit to the 112-year-old ballpark. But for head coach Joe Mazzulla, it was an opportunity to scope out an applicable lesson or two.
Mazzulla revealed that as recently as last week, the 36-year-old finished breaking down film from Boston's June 24 matchup with Toronto -- in which the Red Sox overcame a four-run deficit to walk off the Blue Jays in the ninth inning -- and that it'll be utilized by the Celtics in their upcoming 2024-25 campaign. Over two months since the worthwhile trip to Fenway Park, and with less than two months before Opening Night, Mazzulla explained the primary takeaway from watching the Blue Jays choke a late-game lead.
"You take a look at that game and the Blue Jays are up, 6-2, and the Red Sox are dead in the water and it's the bottom of the seventh (inning) and there's a routine, fundamental infield fly ball, and the Blue Jays let it fall," Mazzulla told John Karalis on the "Locked On Celtics" podcast. "And that's the beginning of the demise of the run. So something as fundamental as just catching a foul ball and having the communication of who's catching it is the difference between winning and losing. ... It doesn't matter whether you win a championship or not. You have to commit to the details and you have to have an understanding of what goes into winning and losing.''
It's become expected at this point for Mazzulla to roll out of bed on the hunt for a way to expand the Celtics locker room's perspective and ability to be open-minded before taking the floor. To some, it might come off as an over-exaggeration of coaching a mega-talented NBA team, but Boston bought into Mazzulla's mindset and watched as its year grew from promising to a league-best 64-win season to a 16-3 run in the playoffs, rewarding the franchise with its 18th Larry O'Brien Trophy. Mazzulla's gone far beyond the parquet court in search of perspective, using the NFL, UFC, professional soccer, Ben Affleck's "The Town" and even killer whales to establish a culture that emphasizes a great sense of attention to detail to live by throughout the season.
"You have to understand what goes into winning and losing on a consistent basis, and those things are important," Mazzulla continued. "And if you don't commit to those, it doesn't really matter."
Boston's inching closer to its season-opening matchup with the New York Knicks, which will officially mark the long-awaited start of a clean slate and a chance for the Celtics to record their first championship repeat since 1965-1966.