Joe Mazzulla on mid-game block on Phoenix's Royce O'Neale: 'It's about setting the tone'

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla takes his job very seriously. He makes sure his team is focused on every detail of the game, and has openly suggested there is “no such thing as too intense” when it comes to securing a win. That much was on display during Boston’s victory over the Phoenix Suns Thursday night, during which the Johnston native made sure to deny Phoenix any advantage.

Following a timeout in the fourth quarter, the dead ball landed in the hands of Suns forward Royce O’Neale. As players from both teams headed to their bench, O’Neal lined up for a jumper, something that happens across the NBA night in and night out. For Mazzulla, however, letting an opponent get a free practice shot was simply unacceptable.

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"I saw a guy trying to get a shot who hadn’t made one,” Mazzulla explained. “I didn’t want him to feel good about himself going to the bench.”

“That’s the bench rule,” Mazzulla continued. “Guys don’t shoot shots in front of our bench to go back to their bench and feel good about themselves. If I’m gonna ask the guys to contest, the staff has got to do the same.”

Mazzulla usually walks to mid-court as his players head to the bench at the beginning of a timeout, as many coaches do. In doing so, he ended up in great position to contest O’Neale’s practice shot.

The second-year coach was asked to clarify his choice. Was he simply having fun, or was the moment in question indicative of his coaching strategy and messaging to his players? As Mazzulla explained, this was an exercise in accountability.

“I think it’s important,” Mazzulla said. “I think it’s a small detail of the game, it’s a little gamesmanship. But you can’t have guys going back to the bench feeling good about themselves.”

Boston went on to win the game, advancing to an NBA-best 52-14 record and clinching a playoff berth in the process — thanks to the Milwaukee Bucks, beating the Philadelphia 76ers.

Certainly this is a roster full of talent, but the head coach is still the head of the snake in basketball.

“It’s about just setting the tone,” Mazzulla explained. “One of my biggest pet peeves is just thinking that a guy’s just going to get a free shot. That’s just not the way it works.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla tries to block an opponent's shot