Mazzulla sums up C’s mentality with epic quote after Game 3 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla may have given his team its mantra for the remainder of its 2025 postseason run.
The C’s bounced back from their two devastating losses to the New York Knicks with a lopsided victory in Game 3, 115-93. After the win, Mazzulla couldn’t help but grin as he addressed the adversity his team is facing after falling into a 2-0 series hole.
“I’ve said it a thousand times, there’s no one way that it’s supposed to go,” Mazzulla said. “There’s no expectations. We’re on a path of trying to go after greatness. You don’t get to dictate the test that’s in front of you. …
“This is the fun part. You don’t get into the journey for it to be easy. It’s been dark, but in a good way. You just gotta tap into your darkness. That’s it. You just gotta do it.”
Tap into your darkness. Add that to the long list of memorable Mazzulla quotes from the last three seasons.
It’s the right mentality for a championship team that hasn’t faced much adversity since the start of the 2023-24 campaign. After a historic regular season, the Celtics steamrolled their opponents en route to an NBA title. This Knicks series is the first time they’ve had their backs against the wall since the 2023 Eastern Conference Finals, when they forced Game 7 after going down 3-0 against the Miami Heat but couldn’t complete the comeback.
While no NBA team has ever come back from 3-0, there have been 34 teams to dig out of a 2-0 hole in a best-of-seven series. If the Celtics continue to shoot the way they did in Game 3 (20-for-40 from 3-point range), they will be well on their way to joining that group.
Boston will look to even the series Monday night at Madison Square Garden. Tip-off for Game 4 is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET.
