"Absolutely studied Bill" - NBA fans compare Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla to iconic ex-Patriots coach for ho-hum responses during postgame presser

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla went viral for his ho-hum postgame exchange with a reporter following Sunday's 120-119 home victory over the New Orleans Pelicans. Afterward, NBA fans called out the third-year coach for his seemingly condescending responses, likening him to Massachusetts coaching icon Bill Belichick.

Despite being heavily favored to dispatch the Western Conference-worst Pelicans (8-32), Boston (28-11) nearly folded. After a series of late-game free throws, Celtics guard Derrick White couldn't inbound the ball in time, resulting in a five-second violation with 6.6 seconds left.

The turnover set the stage for New Orleans veteran shooting guard CJ McCollum to have a chance to win the game, with his team trailing 120-119. However, after gaining steam in the backcourt, McCollum missed a running, game-winning floater in the closing seconds.

Following the contest, Mazzulla was asked about White's slip-up and what he saw during the play. Rather than provide in-depth analysis, he repeatedly offered one-word responses to the reporter's questions.

"What did you see on it?" the reporter asked.

"Yes," Mazzulla said.

"You saw the five seconds?" the reporter followed up.

"Sure," Mazzulla said.

"Okay, you had a timeout. That's why you saved two timeouts. Should Derrick have called a timeout, or what kind of should have happened there?" the reporter asked.

"Yup," Mazzulla said.

The interaction promptly made the rounds on X/Twitter, with many noticing Mazzulla's Belichick-like retorts. The former New England Patriots coach-turned-University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill coach has long been known for his brief, blunt postgame responses.

"LOL, Joe absolutely studied Bill," @ChrisKelly23189 said.

"New Bill Belichick of A-hole media answers," @mynameisMarc wrote.

"He's turning into Belichick, LOL," @JSmall3269 said.

However, others were less entertained and blasted Mazzulla for disrespecting the reporter.

"Celtics fans think this is a great coach just because he's a sarcastic a**hole? Answer the question, Joe!" @xtra_Icce wrote.

"I like Joe, but c'mon, man. Just answer the question," @BrotherBear1408 said.

"I like Joe very much. But he does NOT need to do this. There are better ways," @anmis wrote.

---

---

Joe Mazzulla touches on Celtics' "challenging month" amid Bill Belichick-like postgame interview

While Boston narrowly avoided its second straight defeat and third in four games on Sunday, according to Joe Mazzulla, the adversity should benefit his team.

Despite appearing determined to avoid questions about Derrick White's five-second violation in his Bill Belichick-esque postgame presser, Mazzulla weighed in on the Celtics' recent hardships. He noted that securing a one-point victory over the Pelicans marked another step toward them shaking off their struggles.

"It's been a challenging month," Mazzulla said (Timestamp: 0:32). "So, when you are in a challenging month, you need situations like this to be able to work through it. I think I told the guys, 'It’s a great space to be in.'"

Boston will attempt to build on Sunday's success during Wednesday's road showdown against the floundering Toronto Raptors (8-31).

---