Joe Mazzulla secured his first championship last year, leading the Boston Celtics to the title in the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks. This season, the team has had an impressive performance that has allowed them to secure their spot in the NBA playoffs, and they are now aiming to repeat their success during the critical stage of the campaign.
One of the key factors this year has been their impressive performance on the road. Currently, the Celtics lead the NBA in road victories, with a remarkable record of 32-7, which even surpasses their performance at TD Garden, where they stand at 24-12.
“I think each year, you develop different kinds of strengths, especially with the same team. And this year, it just happened to be our road mentality,” Mazzulla explained when asked about it in the post-game press conference following Boston’s victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Monday night at FedExForum, shared by the NBA’s official website.
“I think every year just takes on a different identity and different challenges,” the head coach added. He also explained that becoming strong on the road wasn’t necessarily a goal they set for the season: “I think this year, we never talk about it. It just kind of became what it is.”
Finally, Mazzulla downplayed the importance of this statistic. “I think we try to play consistent basketball,” he said. “I think that means we are something and 12 at home? I mean, it’s really just four or five games. I mean, it’s not that big of a difference.”
The Celtics could set a historic NBA record
Despite Joe Mazzulla stating that he doesn’t place too much emphasis on the Celtics’ road performance this season, they could achieve a historic feat in the NBA if they continue their strong play outside of TD Garden.
With 32 road victories, the Celtics are just two wins away from matching the best-ever mark achieved by an NBA team in a regular season. In 2015-16, the Golden State Warriors, who, like the Celtics now, were defending champions, set the record with 34 road victories.
The Celtics have two more games on the road ahead: against the New York Knicks and the Orlando Magic, scheduled for next Tuesday and Wednesday, respectively. If they continue their current form, they could achieve something historic.