"Call the police" - NBA fans react to Joe Mazzulla nearly wiping out referee trying to call timeout in upset Celtics loss
The Boston Celtics missed a big chance to win Game 1 on Monday. They led by as many as 20 points, but the New York Knicks stormed back to secure a 108-105 road victory in overtime.
The Celtics crumbled late in the game, with the Knicks outscoring them 25-16.
New York had a chance to win the game in regulation, but the referees may have missed a technical foul call on Boston coach Joe Mazzulla.
A fan on Reddit posted a clip where Mazzulla bumped a referee while trying to call a timeout with 28 seconds left in regulation.
Some fans believe it was unintentional and shared their reactions.
"Knicks won. Relax," one said.
"You’re seriously trying to make this a thing? This is obviously an accident," another wrote.
Others poked fun at the fan who posted it.
"Believe it or not, straight to jail," one fan wrote.
"Call the police," another fan said.
"Didn’t think I’d watch an attempted murder this morning," a fan commented.
"lol this is funny looking," another fan commented.
Jayson Tatum missed a 3-pointer out of the timeout, and Jalen Brunson also failed to knock down the potential game-winning layup. The score remained tied, and the Knicks ultimately took care of business by outscoring the home team 8-5 in overtime.
Joe Mazzulla knows the Boston Celtics need to be better
The Boston Celtics set two infamous marks in the loss. They took the most (60) and missed the most (45) 3-pointers in a playoff game in NBA history.
Joe Mazzulla acknowledged that his team needs to do a better job of executing on offense.
"Have to have better play-calling, have to make shots, have to make some better reads," Mazzulla told reporters after the game. "Yeah, have to be better."
The Celtics led the NBA in 3-pointers made in the regular season and shot 36.8% from beyond the arc.
Monday's win was the first time the Knicks beat the Celtics this season in four games. Boston will look to bounce back in Game 2 to avoid a 0-2 deficit before the series shifts to New York.
