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I'm guessing that Joe Mazzula is going to hear a lot of criticism after today's OT loss to the Sixers. Mainly:
A) On Harden's three point shot that gave the Sixers a one-point lead (that turned out to be the game-winner), if you're the Celtics, with a two-point lead and enough time on the clock to where you'll get another possession, the one thing you DON'T want to give up is a three-point shot. Yet the C's doubled on Embiid's drive, leaving Harden for a wide-open three. Basketball 101: You don't get beat by a three when you're up by two and you're getting the ball back...
B) Then, with 16 or so seconds left, on what turned out to be the final possession of the game, Mazzula elects to NOT use one of his TWO timeouts, and then watches his team dribble out the clock before a three-point make by Smart comes a fraction of a second after the game clock expires. Basketball 101: When you're down by one and have the final possession, you shoot your final shot with enough time left on the clock to either a) get the o-rebound and attempt a put-back, or b) foul and put the other team on the line, hoping you'll still have time for a last quick shot to tie.
And when you have TWO timeouts left to sort all of this out?
I hope some reporter asks Mazzula post-game, "Coach, with those two timeouts that you didn't use at the end of the game when your team could've been reminded to execute basketball basics, what are your plans for those timeouts now?"
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