The Celtics finished their six-game road trip with a perfect record on Monday after the 117-103 win against the Grizzlies. But Jayson Tatum’s night wasn’t as flawless. The man picked up another technical foul, making it his 13th of the season. Tatum was expecting the game official to call a foul on Scotty Pippen Jr. When that didn’t happen, stunned by the no-call, JT was quick to show his frustration. And referee Tony Brothers handed him the tech without wasting time. Now, Tatum’s just three techs away from a one-game suspension. Surprisingly, that’s exactly what head coach Joe Mazzulla wants. Hard for you to believe? Wait until the stunner is dropped.

During the locker room interview, when Tatum was asked how he decides when to speak up and when to hold off, the 27-year-old immediately replied, “Depending on the night, some things that you say on a Tuesday, it’s cool, you say them on Saturday, they give you a technical.” You could tell from the way Tatum said it that he was puzzled by how the refereeing works. “So I ain’t got this s*** figured out yet, I’ll let you know when I do,” a furious Tatum exclaimed. Despite his frustration, Joe Mazzulla wasn’t bothered by the foul. In fact, the head coach shrugged it off by saying, “Whatever gives us the best chance to win every night.” Strange, right? Well, Tatum has recently revealed what Mazzulla’s tactics are.

When JT joined NFL stars, the Kelce brothers, on their New Heights show, he revealed some of his secret conversations with Joe Mazzulla. “We actually talked about you,” he told Travis. “We played Portland the other day. I had got a tech. The game was basically over. I ended up getting a tech with like 30 seconds left. Joe, he comes up to me after the game. ‘If you get like 16 or 17 techs, you get suspended for a game.’ So Joe’s like, ‘Yo, can you just get four more so you can get suspended?'” The Celtics’ head coach himself wants Tatum to get the suspension. But don’t worry, it’s all in a playful mood; that’s who Mazzulla is.

Continuing his story, JT said, “I’m like, ‘Joe, I think I’m done.’ He’s like, ‘I would much rather you just come punch me. I want to fight.'” Tatum went on to reveal that Mazzulla jokingly told him to throw him like Travis Kelce threw Chiefs HC Andy Reid during the 2024 Super Bowl. “He’s like, ‘When Travis Kelsey’s running to Andy Reid, do that to me. I love it,'” Tatum added. Though Kelce later apologized for his actions on his podcast, calling the incident unacceptable. Joe Mazzulla certainly knows how to lighten the mood in the Celtics’ locker room, but he takes the business seriously as well when it comes to making major changes.

Joe Mazzulla opens up about major change in Celtics

The Celtics’ starting lineup looked a bit different with Xavier Tillman Sr. in it. But why did Joe Mazzulla suddenly decide to make the 26-year-old a starter? Was it because he was playing against his former team, the Grizzlies? “Absolutely,” the head coach confirmed in the post-game press conference. It was Xavier’s connection to the city that played a role in the decision.

“I think when you have moments when you’re able to validate your entire roster, and I just appreciate X, and the entire roster is important for a season. X can still impact winning.” Mazzulla added. For the eight minutes Xavier was on the floor, he added two points, both came from free throws. Xavier attempted five shots from both the field and beyond the arc, but they refused to hit the target.

Despite his tough shooting performance, Mazzulla still believes in him. He highlighted the other ways Xavier contributed to the game, such as grabbing two key rebounds, committing fouls that affected the opposing team’s defense, and making a deflection steal in the third quarter that led to a turnover. “He can still impact winning, and I just appreciate who he is as a person,” the coach said. “And I think you got to validate the roster at times, and I know that he can still help us, and there may be an opportunity where he does. So, I was grateful that we were able to give him that opportunity to be able to do that.”

So, even if Mazzulla keeps joking around with his team, he knows very well how to appreciate them. No wonder the team likes him, despite his antics. He has the balance of keeping a healthy environment in Boston, and the 9-1 record in the last 10 games reflects why they look even better than the East’s top seed, the Cavaliers.