The word “Mindset” has been used regularly by head coach Joe Mazzulla since the early days of training camp.
The second-year head coach has constantly preached the importance of playing with the right mindset, as he wants his squad to build their identity on humility, toughness, passion, togetherness, and nastiness.
All of these principles help provide the Celtics with alternative ways to win games when their shots aren’t falling – Like Sunday night’s game against the Atlanta Hawks.
The Celtics shot just 42-of-95 (44.2%) from the floor on Sunday night and 13-of-47 (27.7%) from three-point range. Entering Sunday night, the Celtics were 6-11 when shooting under 30% from beyond the arc dating back to last year.
Finding ways to win when the threes aren’t falling was an issue the Celtics had last season, one Mazzulla has looked to address this season.
On Sunday, the Celtics found a way to win behind their hustle on the boards and their defense.
The Celtics snagged a season-high 58 rebounds, 18 of which came on the offensive glass, resulting in 17 second-chance points.
Boston’s effort on the glass was spearheaded by Al Horford, who finished with 15 rebounds, the most he’s had in a game since March 30, 2022. Horford also added two blocks on the defensive end, finishing with a +17 plus-minus despite only scoring six points.
The 37-year-old was all over the court, doing whatever he could to help his team win, as he has been doing all season long.
“He set the mindset, and that’s something that we’ve been a little inconsistent with is our mindset,” Mazzulla said postgame. “I would say overall, our guys want to be great, they want to win, [but] our mindset has been a little inconsistent. But [Against the Hawks], it felt like we had it back. And we just gotta fight for that.”
You can’t say enough good things about Horford this season.
The 16-year-vet has done everything the team has asked of him, and he’s done so at a high level. Whether that be providing a spark off the bench or stepping up when he is recalled to the starting lineup, Horford does what is asked, and does so at a high level and with maximum effort - Serving as inspiration for his teammates and coaches.
“Al had a rebound at the end of the game, it was like 103-94, that was tremendous,” Mazzulla said. “It was funny, me and Jaylen [Brown] were standing at the scorer's table when he went and got that, and we both just looked at each other, and it was like, ‘How lucky are we to have this guy?’”
The extra possession didn’t even result in points for Boston, but it embodied the way Mazzulla and the Celtics are trying to play, especially on a night when the shots aren’t falling.
“Al just adds to winning,” Jaylen Brown said. “That play is just a small example of what Al brings to our team. That was a corner crash, the ball bounced on the other side of the floor, Al goes up through three guys. Just a huge effort play. Those are the type of plays you need to win games like this.”
The 16-year-vet is an invaluable piece to the Celtics' locker room and embodies the type of culture Mazzulla and the Celtics are looking to build, and his teammates and coaches don’t take him for granted.
“We’re really lucky to have Al,” Mazzulla said. “He sets the example every day, and sometimes guys like him can go underappreciated.”
“It just gives us so much energy. We get so excited when he does those things,” Jayson Tatum added. “That's contagious, the crowd feeds off of that, we feed off of that. He's the guy on our team, everybody loves him and respects him. Night in and night out, he does things like that, that we can't say thank you enough for.”
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