After the Celtics blew a 20-point lead on Monday, Joe Mazzulla knew exactly where they went wrong: “We left some of their good shooters open… They were able to get out in transition off of some of our misses. They had a 5-0 run off of offensive rebounds. Detail stuff that we need to be better at. I thought we missed some good ones, and I thought there were a few we could fight to get better on.” Acknowledging the mistakes head-on, everyone expected Mazzulla to make the right adjustments and come out stronger in Game 2. But what happened tonight left the Celtic Nation fuming.

While the Boston team started out hot, gaining a 20-point lead yet again, they let it slip in the final quarter. Jalen Brunson and Co. went on a 21-2 run to muscle a miraculous comeback, and Mazzulla could do nothing to stop the bleeding, or rather, decided to do nothing. It was clear that the head coach had not learnt from Monday’s mistakes. In Game 1, the Celtics missed 45 three-pointers, setting a new NBA playoffs record. But Mazzulla’s over reliance on threes continued tonight, and it cost the Cs once again. They shot 10 of 40 from deep range, which was a major reason behind their downfall.

During the New York team’s fourth quarter run, Joe made no significant adjustments to halt their momentum. Then, it was Brunson’s clutch free throws that sealed the game for the Knicks, giving them a 2-0 series lead. Obviously, Celtics Nation was not pleased with Joe’s coaching and they flooded the internet with “Fire Joe Mazzulla” chants. However, he was not the only person to catch the blame for Celtics’ embarrassing loss.

Even Jayson Tatum was caught in the crossfire after he failed to get his team over the hump. In February, JT entered his name in the discussion of NBA’s next face, with his public statement, “Face of the NBA? They can always debate. But it’s like, I check off all the boxes.” His claim was based off his impressive resume at just 27-years-old – NBA Champion, along with perennial All-Star and All-NBA player. But being the face of the league is not just about accolades. It’s also about showing up in big moments. Unfortunately, Tatum failed to do so tonight!

With 12.7 seconds left and the Celtics down by one, Mazzulla made the bold decision to forgo a timeout, choosing instead to let the play develop organically. While this approach can preserve momentum and catch defenses off guard, it also meant sacrificing the opportunity to advance the ball and set up a structured side-out play.

That strategic trade-off loomed large, as a timeout would have allowed Boston to better define player roles and counter the Knicks’ defensive setup.

What followed was a chaotic finish. Jayson Tatum, tasked with creating in isolation, drove left into a well-timed double team. With the clock ticking down and no clean look available, he attempted a mid-range pass under pressure—but Mikal Bridges anticipated the move perfectly, getting a hand in to deflect it and force a turnover. The Celtics never even got a shot off, sealing the Knicks’ gritty Game 2 win and putting Boston’s late-game decision-making under renewed scrutiny.

Mazzulla later acknowledged New York’s effective adjustment at the “lower pickup point” as a critical factor in stalling the possession—an area a drawn-up play might have better exploited.

Continuing his shooting struggles from the last game, Jayson shot 5 of 19 from the field and scored just 13 points. Not a performance you would expect from a franchise superstar, let alone the face of the league. And it brought a wave of criticism Tatum’s way.

Jayson Tatum deemed the “worst superstar” as fans predict awful fate for Joe Mazzulla

Frustrated by Tatum’s disappointing outing, one netizen deemed him “THE WORST SUPERSTAR TO EVER GRACE THIS SPORT.” Tonight was the second time in this series he failed to show up for his team. Even in the last game, he scored just 23 points on 7 of 23 shooting. So, fans are beginning to lose faith in him, as one even wrote, “Jayson Tatum is not a superstar.”

As expected, netizens also highlighted his shooting struggles, “That man is Ayson Tatum*, there’s been no sign of a J this series.” Of course, the missing ‘J’ referring to his missing jumper in this series. Sure enough, Mazzulla received the same treatment from the frustrated fans.

Comments like “Joe Mazzulla is going to mess around and be on the hot seat pretty soon. Boston’s offense is awful” began flooding in. Apart from the “fire” him chants, Celtics fans also deemed him a ‘fraud’, “At least the world will finally understand the Joe Mazzulla is a fraud, we really replaced Ime with this b–.” Yes, the Celtics hired Mazzulla after they let go of Ime Udoka despite his massive on-court success.

If the Celtics lose this series, especially with two blown 20-point leads, it could put Mazzulla’s future in jeopardy. “They fired Frank Vogel, Mike Budenholzer and Mike Malone 2 years after winning chips. Joe Mazzulla on track to lose his job too.” One netizen wrote.

Sure, Mazzulla has been great as a head coach so far. Even won the Celtics a championship. But head coaching is one of the most volatile jobs in the NBA, where you are praised one day and thrown to the wolves the next. So, Mazzulla getting fired if the Celtics’ season comes to an early end will not be surprising at all. Do you agree?