Joe Mazzulla Admits He Should Have Called Timeout Before Celtics' Costly Overtime Loss to 76ers in Game 4

The Boston Celtics, who were poised to take command of their first-round series against the Philadelphia 76ers, instead dropped a 116-115 heart-breaker in overtime on Sunday night. Coach Joe Mazzulla, who was previously defending his decision to not call a timeout on the final possession of the game, admitted on Monday that he should have done so in order to get multiple chances to win the game. "At the end of overtime, hindsight is 20/20. I should have called [a timeout] to help us get a 2-for-1 or a couple more possessions," Mazzulla said.

However, Mazzulla stood by his decision to not call a timeout at the end of the fourth quarter, explaining that it prevents the opposing team from getting matchups off the floor and stops them from organizing their defense. Jayson Tatum, who dribbled out the clock and didn't begin driving to the basket until there were five seconds remaining in overtime, supported Mazzulla's decision not to call timeout but admitted that he should have attacked earlier.

The Celtics have a chance to tie up the series again on Tuesday night. Al Horford was optimistic, saying, "More times than not it worked out for us. The momentum was there. We got the last shot, which is what you want."