NBA Announces Punishment After Celtics-Bulls Game

The NBA has fined Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla.

Dec 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla reacts after called for a technical foul as they take on the Chicago Bulls in the second half at TD Garden. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The Boston Celtics and Chicago Bulls are facing off again on Saturday night in a rematch of Thursday night’s contest. Defeating Boston by a final score of 117-108, Chicago upset its Eastern Conference rival in a game that contained a lot of controversy.

With several technical fouls being handed out down the stretch of this game, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla pursued the officiating crew in an attempt to get his point across. While Mazzulla was able to recompose himself before speaking with reporters, which likely saved him some money, the Celtics head coach did not walk away from this game without discipline from the league.

On Saturday, the NBA announced that Mazzulla had been fined $35,000 for his actions.

Via NBA PR: “Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla has been fined $35,000 for aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate language toward a game official, it was announced today by Joe Dumars, Executive Vice President, Head of Basketball Operations. The incident occurred at the conclusion of the Celtics' 117-108 loss to the Chicago Bulls on Dec. 19 at TD Garden.”

The following has been released by the NBA. pic.twitter.com/bSbo09bI1V
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) December 21, 2024

The NBA also released a Pool Report after the game that explained the technical fouls given out. Speaking with Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe, Crew Chief Tony Brothers said Mazzulla received a technical foul for being out of the coach’s box and on the floor.

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