Robert Williams had to hold back Joe Mazzulla after Celtics coach was bumped by Toronto's Chris Boucher
BOSTON -- First-year Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla isn't afraid to get a little feisty from the bench, but his ire is usually aimed at his players or the officials. On Wednesday night, he took exception to a bump by Toronto Raptors forward Chris Boucher, leading to a rather comical scene on the floor.
It happened in the second quarter as the teams made their way to their respective sidelines during a dead ball timeout. Mazzulla went on the floor to greet his team, and Boucher bumped the Celtics head coach from behind as he walked by. Mazzulla didn't seem very pleased and had some words for Boucher.
When it looked like Mazzulla was about to head toward the Toronto bench, that's when Celtics big man Robert Williams stepped in, holding his head coach back before he could do anything rash.
It was probably a good thing, as Boucher stands seven inches taller than Mazzulla and weighs a heck of a lot more than the former college point guard. Not that anything ever comes of NBA arguments, but it's probably for the best that Williams kept Mazzulla on Boston's side of the court.
Mazzulla gave his side of the exchange after Boston's 97-93 win, and said it was a lot to do about nothing.
"I wasn't irritated," Mazzulla explained. "I just got bumped and was trying to figure out what happened. I've got to be more aware of my surroundings."
It'll be interesting to see what plays out Friday night, when the Celtics host the Raptors for their final matchup of the regular season. There remains an outside shot that the Celtics -- who clinched the No. 2 seed in the East on Wednesday night -- could see Toronto in the playoffs, though the Raptors would have to climb into the 7- or 8-seed and then win Tuesday night's first play-in game to secure a matchup with Boston.
