Doris Burke lavishes huge praise on Celtics coach after Boston takes 3-0 lead: "There is not a detail missed with Joe Mazzulla"

Joe Mazzulla and the Boston Celtics are now just a game away from being crowned the 2024 NBA champions after a 106-99 win on Wednesday. The Dallas Mavericks have had no answer for the Celtics and are down 3-0. Only a miracle could help Dallas win the series now.

While the Mavericks might be hoping for divine intervention, the Celtics haven't left anything to fate. They have been clinical throughout the series, something that ESPN’s Doris Burke noticed and gave voice to in the dying moments of Game 3:

"This is a 35-year-old coach who took over in a tough situation. There is not a detail missed with Joe Mazzulla. This guy has been in complete command of his team, his philosophy, and how he wants to do stuff."

Doris Burke and the commentary crew were trying to speculate if Boston would foul after being up 104-98 with 22 seconds left in the final quarter. Derrick White proceeded to foul Tim Hardaway Jr., something that was missed by the referee despite White clearly pointing to him that he had fouled Hardaway.

A 3-pointer could have hurt the Celtics more at that point than two free throws. Game awareness like this by Joe Mazzulla impressed Burke and the rest of the ESPN crew. Hardaway missed the 3-point attempt, as Boston closed out the game 106-99.

The 35-year-old Mazzulla has been impressive after he was forced to take over the team in the wake of Ime Udoka’s suspension in September 2022. Even though he was announced as the interim head coach at the time, he was later named the permanent head coach.

As Mazzulla and the Celtics chase history to become the first team to win 18 NBA titles, Doris Burke created history of her own during Game 1 of the series. She became the first woman to serve as an analyst in any final of the major US sports leagues.

Joe Mazzulla spoke about Boston Celtics’ mindset after Game 3

Despite being up 3-0, Mazzulla and the Celtics aren’t getting complacent. They know anything can happen if they let loose. After Game 3, Mazzulla said, as per NBA.com:

“You’ve got to understand we are just as vulnerable if not more vulnerable than they are. When you understand that you’re vulnerable and your back’s against the wall, you’ve got to fight. And so that’s the mindset that we have to have.”

It’s pretty clear that the Mavericks have a mountain to climb, and Boston isn’t going to provide any oxygen support.