Joe Mazzulla didn’t mince words after the Boston Celtics‘ last-second loss to the Indiana Pacers on Monday night.
In fact, he used only two of them. On repeat.
Mazzulla was asked six questions after the 98-96 defeat in Indianapolis, and to each one, his answer was the same: “Illegal screen.”
Question: Take us through the last couple of possessions?
Mazzulla: Illegal screen.
Question: What’d you say?
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Mazzulla: Illegal screen.
Question: Illegal screen?
Mazzulla: Illegal screen.
Question: What fell apart to get you guys behind?
Mazzulla: Illegal screen.
Question: What do you want people to know about that?
Mazzulla: Illegal screen.
Question: Is there anything else you would like to say?
Mazzulla: Illegal screen.
Mazzulla’s likely point of contention came in the closing seconds, when Pacers star Pascal Siakam set a screen at the top of the 3-point arc, causing Boston’s Derrick White to lose his balance.
Siakam got the ball back from Andrew Nembhard, pump-faked and stepped inside the foul line for the high-arcing leaner that banked through with 6.1 seconds to give Indiana a victory.
The Celtics have had recent issues with officiating.
Earlier Monday, star Jaylen Brown was fined $35,000 by the NBA after he criticized the officiating following the team’s loss to the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday.