BOSTON — Billy Donovan gave his post-game press convention as roars erupted throughout the hallway from the Celtics’ press room watching OG Anunoby hit a last-second three to solidify the Nets’ win by a sufficiently small margin. Joe Mazzulla concurrently completed explaining his thought course of on going for the In-Season Match, arriving at his media availabilities with Brooklyn and Toronto nonetheless locked in a one-possession recreation. Reporters carried laptops and telephones with the sport and scores streaming.

“With out worrying about it, we superior,” Mazzulla stated after being informed the results of Nets-Raptors. “Take into consideration what the method does. Course of over outcomes.”

A part of the attraction of Tuesday’s match triumph and overcoming the 22-point differential deficit to the Magic whereas passing the Nets to safe Group C stemmed from the uncertainty over whether or not Mazzulla would run up the rating. He professed zero obligation pre-game to cross the edge.

However after an unnamed assistant informed Mazzulla within the fourth quarter that the Nets led by a possession whereas Boston led by 29 with 7:34 to go. Jrue Vacation, Al Horford and Jaylen Brown headed to the scorer’s desk to arrange an unprecedented scene.

Usually, that scenario would arrange early exits from the world, recaps submitted to editors earlier than the buzzer, and rubbish time lineups enjoying between Gino intermissions. As a substitute, Donovan and Mazzulla held a spirited dialogue at half court docket over Boston deciding to hack Andre Drummond. Vacation pushed Boston’s result in 35 whereas the Knicks’ lead hovered round 20 on the Hornets. The calculators got here out.

Celtics +32, Knicks +38, wait.

The Bucks fell behind the Warmth. What in the event that they’re within the wild card combine?

Boston by no means thought of that second situation that by no means got here into play. Gamers, uninformed by Mazzulla, principally entered with that 23-point determine of their head.

“We just about already knew,” Vacation stated. “We had heard the rating of the Toronto-Brooklyn recreation. We noticed it up on the display screen and stuff. I feel we sort of knew, all people individually making an attempt to do the maths of their head, which even after the sport received slightly complicated. That’s why I’m not into the arithmetic of it. I play basketball.”

Vacation and Brown complained in regards to the level differential rule after the sport regardless of embracing it on the ground. Mazzulla, as promised, staked out the hallway between locker rooms to speak with Donovan after their trade, each coaches acknowledging the opposite’s perspective whereas Bulls officers alerted Drummond of Mazzulla’s need to talk with him. Drummond, after getting dressed, declined to touch upon the fouling determination with reporters, politely saying he’d solely discuss basketball.

Disdain towards and debate over the foundations of the match will proceed into subsequent summer season, however refined tensions, tough strategic choices and fan curiosity by means of the buzzer made Tuesday an all-time distinctive occasion on the Backyard. It adopted a Warriors-Timberwolves struggle earlier within the match, incidents late in video games the place groups remained locked-in the place they hardly ever would in any other case — just like the Magic did on Friday. The Celtics made up for that effort with a renewed focus, Brown pushing the ball in transition from Vacation and Derrick White to develop a result in 19. Boston’s bench stayed standing watching the Celtics maximize possessions earlier than halftime. The Celtics managed the margin like a playoff recreation.

“I took in all the data. I didn’t deal with it emotionally and I sat and saved it in no matter a part of my mind that shops data,” Mazzulla stated. “I waited to see if I used to be going to wish it or not. I don’t know going right into a recreation that we’re gonna be up 23, we may very well be down 15 as a result of that’s a distraction, as a result of we’re making an attempt to be up 23, and also you’re gonna be like, was your group distracted by the 23-point lead? … our group was targeted on profitable.”

Clunkiness remained. Many followers, by no means thoughts media, struggled to type by means of the situations on the ultimate day of group play. Many arrived questioning what the match meant usually.

The $500,000 in winnings, which Luke Kornet joked would repay his mortgage, doesn’t resonate with informal followers. The inaugural trophy doesn’t imply something but. Groups weighed going for it with well being — Brown’s dive to the ground with two minutes left was sufficient for Mazzulla as his bench emptied.

Till then although, for all of the lamenting post-game, the Celtics performed laborious. They moved the ball higher than that they had all yr with 36 assists, positioning Al Horford as an inside-out initiator. Sam Hauser chased down and dunked a Jayson Tatum miss. Tatum and Brown crossed the 23-point line with back-to-back scores within the second. White stole a move within the again court docket and located Tatum instantly to go up 27. Mazzulla referred to as timeout when Chicago minimize the result in 30. He challenged the gamers to deal with areas the place they just lately struggled, the Celtics appeared to thrive operating up a rating. Not, they’re on to Indiana.

“As soon as it received to that and also you began enjoying the maths recreation, and your possessions are 0.0 factors per possession as a result of they missed two free throws, that will get me excited,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s not that I don’t assume the In-Season Match is enjoyable or it’s vital, however there’s a course of. You return to the Orlando recreation, are we gonna rebound simply because it’s an (IST) recreation? I don’t need our guys to have that kind of mindset … we’ve to rebound each recreation … you’re at 30, what’d you need to do? I need to get stops … and I apologized to Andre Drummond for doing that, however it gave us the most effective likelihood contemplating the circumstances.”