"He'd be a better coach than Mazzulla"- NBA fans are in shambles after Jimmy Butler calls timeout for the Celtics in Game 3

Throughout the 2023 NBA playoffs, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla has faced significant criticism. He has been heavily scrutinized for his failure to make necessary coaching adjustments and for neglecting to call timeouts during crucial moments. The Celtics entered Game 3 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, trailing 2-0 and desperately needing a win. Unfortunately, instead of rising to the occasion, the Celtics came out flat, finding themselves trailing by a staggering 33 points in the second half. This led Heat superstar forward Jimmy Butler to have some fun at the expense of Mazzulla and the Celtics.

During a Miami run in the third quarter, Butler sprinted down the court and humorously mimicked calling a timeout for the Boston Celtics, dropping to a knee as if signaling for a break in play. This celebration seemed to be a direct reference to Celtics veteran Al Horford, who had done a similar gesture in Game 1 of the series.

Butler’s celebration had NBA fans roasting the second-seeded Celtics, who were getting blown out by the eighth-seeded Heat:

“He'd be a better coach than Mazzulla,” one fan said.

“Jimmy is hella funny bruh,” another fan said.

Here are a few more of the top fan reactions to Jimmy Butler trolling the Boston Celtics in Game 3:

Jayson Tatum on the Boston Celtics’ game plan against Miami

Boston Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum

Ahead of the Boston Celtics’ disastrous Game 3 against Miami, Celtics superstar forward Jayson Tatum was asked about his team’s game plan. Tatum said that the Celtics just have to make the right plays as they have been getting good shots all series:

“It’s just about making the right play,” Tatum said.

“They’re a really good defensive team. I draw a lot of attention. We’re getting good shots. Some of them we haven’t made or made them at the clip that we normally do.

“So, it’s not necessarily about me shooting more. It’s about making the right plays. Sometimes that’s for me. Sometimes that’s for one of the other guys.”

Tatum added that the Celtics have to be less hesitant against the Heat’s zone defense and play better team defense:

“I think we can’t be hesitant,” Tatum said.

“Their zone is designed for you to stand still or be hesitant. So, you’ve got to be aggressive. You’ve got to move. You can’t stand still.

“We just can’t leave guys on an island. We’ve got to show more of a presence — be long and help. And it varies because we switch a lot, so, depending on who you’re guarding, that determines how much you do or don’t.”

Finally, Tatum spoke about the Celtics being forced to win on the road after dropping both of their home games. Tatum said that the Celtics are used to being in these kinds of must-win situations:

“Usually when we go to the road — this year and last year — we’ve had no other choice,” Tatum said.

“It was either win or our season was over with. Kind of that back-against-the-wall, gotta figure it out. For the most part, we’ve done that.”

Unfortunately for Tatum and the Celtics, their experience didn’t make a difference in Game 3 against Miami as they fell 128-102.