Joe Mazzulla opens up about surprising Jayson Tatum absence

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Every once in a while, the Boston Celtics stumble against underdog teams. That was the case on Monday night when they faced off against the Orlando Magic, a team missing three key players, yet still managed to defeat the Celtics 108-104. While Boston was also without Jayson Tatum, they remained the more talented squad on paper. However, the game didn't go in their favor, and head coach Joe Mazzulla was candid in addressing the team's disappointing loss.

Mazzulla downplaying Jayson Tatum’s absence despite the loss

Joe Mazzulla first acknowledged that the Celtics remained competitive despite Jayson Tatum's absence.

"Right before we came out for the tip off," said the Celtics head coach. "He did what he tried to do to try to play, just wasn't able to."

The Celtics’ coach made it clear that he wouldn't use Tatum’s absence as an excuse for the loss.

"None," Mazzulla said when asked about the impact of Tatum not playing.

"We have enough. I mean, obviously you want to have one of your best players. You want to have him, but it's not really a challenge. We did what we had to do, we got off to a good start. We just had a tough third quarter," he continued.

Before the game, the team listed Jayson Tatum as questionable due to a non-COVID illness. Although he was expected to come off the bench, the team did not rule him out entirely. However, Tatum ended up sitting out the entire game, remaining on the bench and cheering for his teammates after being removed from the injury report.

The Celtics generally faring well without Tatum

Interestingly, the Celtics have shown they can still perform well without Jayson Tatum in the lineup. Last season, the team played eight games without him and won seven, with their only loss being a close 131-133 defeat to the Pacers. However, tonight was one of those rare occasions where the defending champions couldn't overcome an underdog opponent.

Jaylen Brown, the reigning Finals MVP, stepped up in Tatum’s absence, scoring a game-high 35 points and pulling down 8 rebounds. However, his efforts weren't enough as the rest of the team struggled to contribute. Tatum’s absence certainly played a role in the Celtics’ defeat, but the Magic’s defense deserves significant credit for their performance.

The Orlando Magic didn't let the absence of their key offensive players affect them. Instead, they focused on defensive brilliance, suffocating the Celtics' offense with tight coverage. The Magic’s defense had a noticeable impact, as Boston recorded a season-low 13 assists on 37 made field goals.

On the other hand, Joe Mazzulla was forced to stick with the starting lineup for extended minutes in the final quarter, playing from behind. Had Tatum been available, Mazzulla would have had the flexibility to rotate his players more.

Boston dropped to 2-1 on the season without Tatum. The star forward will have a day to recover from his illness before the Celtics face the 76ers in a nationally televised matchup on Christmas Day at TD Garden.

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