"Merry Christmas": Joe Mazzulla has a message for an NBA ref after heated moment

The Boston Celtics have played well in their quest to win back-to-back NBA Championships this season. However, the C's were handed a rare loss at home by the Chicago Bulls.

During the fourth quarter, the Celtics were handed a barrage of technical fouls. Head coach Joe Mazzulla, Jaylen Brown, and Jayson Tatum were T'ed up in a matter of a few minutes.

After the final buzzer, Mazzulla went ballistic on the officials and had to be held back by his assistant coaches following the Celtics' sixth loss of the season.

Mazzulla is usually calm and composed on the court, so it was surprising to see the Celtics head coach get angry. After the game, Mazzulla had a message for referee Justin Van Duyne.

"I just hadn't seen him in a while," Mazzulla said. "So, just a Merry Christmas and a happy holiday. I wasn't sure I was going to see them before the holiday and I just can't let a moment go by where you don't wish the best to them and their families."

Joe Mazzulla asked about this moment:

“I hadn't seen him in a while. So, just a Merry Christmas and a Happy Holiday…can't let a moment go by where you don't wish the best to them and theirs.” https://t.co/QI9g4Va1B7 pic.twitter.com/eoquP1zXV4
— Noa Dalzell 🏀 (@NoaDalzell) December 20, 2024

The Celtics are now 21-6 for the season and still hold the second seed in the Eastern Conference. There is no need to press the panic button by any means, but losses like these hurt the team in the long run.

As for Mazzulla, he will likely draw up better tactics for the Celtics to forget this loss. The defending champions are scheduled to play the Bulls again this Saturday.

It will be exciting to see whether the Celtics can avenge their recent defeat or if the Bulls will turn out to be the kryptonite for the 2024 NBA champions.