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NBA Breaks Silence on Major Controversy in Celtics-Bulls

The NBA has released a Pool Report for the Chicago Bulls vs. Boston Celtics game.
Joey Linn|
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.
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

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Boston CelticsChicago Bulls

The Chicago Bulls defeated the Boston Celtics by a final score of 117-108 on Thursday night, but not without controversy. Multiple technical fouls were handed out down the stretch of this game, which led to Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla going after the officiating crew.

While Mazzulla recomposed himself before speaking with reporters, which could save him a potential fine, he and his team were clearly upset with how this game was officiated. Due to the controversial nature of this game, the NBA has released a Pool Report conducted by Adam Himmelsbach of the Boston Globe with Crew Chief Tony Brothers.

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 following transcript is via NBA Official:

QUESTION: What did Joe Mazzulla do that warranted the technical foul?

BROTHERS: He was out of the coach’s box and on the floor.

QUESTION: So, it wasn’t anything he said?

BROTHERS: No, it wasn’t.

Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum also received technical fouls that were addressed in the Pool Report. The following transcript is via NBA Official:

QUESTION: What did Jaylen Brown do to warrant the technical foul?

BROTHERS: He questioned our integrity multiple times during that same sequence.

QUESTION: What did Jayson Tatum do to warrant his technical foul?

BROTHERS: Tatum received a respect for the game technical for an overt action towards an official.

Ayo Dosunmu and Jaylen Brown
Dec 19, 2024; Boston, Massachusetts, USA; Chicago Bulls guard Ayo Dosunmu (11) drives the ball against Boston Celtics guard Jaylen Brown (7) in the second half at TD Garden. | David Butler II-Imagn Images

The was just Boston's sixth loss of the season, and one that came with major controversy.

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Joey Linn
JOEY LINN

Joey Linn is a credentialed writer covering the NBA and WNBA for On SI. Covering the LA Clippers independently in 2018, then for Fansided and 213Hoops from 2019-2021, Joey joined On SI to cover the Clippers after the 2020-21 season. Graduating from Biola University in 2022 with a Communication Studies degree, Joey served as Biola's play-by-play announcer for their basketball, baseball, softball, and soccer teams. Joey's work on Biola's broadcasts and in the classroom earned him the Outstanding Communication Studies Student of the year award in 2022. Joey covers the NBA full-time, primarily serving as a Clippers beat writer.

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