As the famous saying goes, you either live by the three or die by the three. Under head coach Joe Mazzulla, the Boston Celtics have embodied this saying. After Boston’s Game 1 win over the Orlando Magic, Shane Young of Forbes noted that the Celtics are now an incredible 101-8 in the Mazzulla era when they shoot at least 40 percent from three. This translates to a 92.6 winning percentage. Notably in Sunday’s win over Orlando, the Celtics shot 43.2 percent from beyond the arc. Let’s further dive into this absurd stat and the value of Mazzulla ball.
The Celtics improve to 101-8 under Joe Mazzulla when they shoot at least 40% from three.
One hundred one … and eight.
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) April 20, 2025
Insane Stat Highlights the Dominance of Mazzulla Ball
The Brilliance of Mazzulla Ball
Since Joe Mazzulla took over as head coach, he has transformed the Celtics into a three-point juggernaut. Impressively, Boston shattered the all-time record for most threes in a single season with 1,457 made threes. The Celtics’ offense is centered around a five-out spacing and crisp ball movement. While other teams have similar play styles, the Celtics’ three-point-centric offense has been fittingly nicknamed Mazzulla ball. They have the ideal personnel for this scheme, which allows them to dominate games.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown facilitate the drive-and-kick game, which is central to Boston’s offensive attack. Tatum and Brown draw a ton of attention from the defense, which opens the game up for the Celtics’ elite shooters. Boston’s 47.8 three-point attempts per game lead the league, with the Golden State Warriors at 42.3 attempts. The Celtics’ ability to take and make threes at an elite rate allows them to create big leads. This was a crucial reason why they won the championship last year. Overall, Mazzulla has a record of 182-64; impressively, he has the highest winning percentage of all coaches in league history.
The Celtics’ Supporting Cast Makes Them Dangerous
While much of the Celtics’ offense is centered around the drive-and-kick game created by the Jays, Boston’s supporting cast truly makes the offense click. This is true for making the drive-and-kick game effective and creating quality looks that don’t directly involve the Jays. Derrick White, Kristaps Porziņģis, and Jrue Holiday are all elite spot-up shooters. As are Payton Pritchard, Al Horford, and Sam Hauser off the bench.
White, Pritchard, Porziņģis, and Holiday are all high-level shot creators in addition to their knack for spotting up. White, Holiday, and Pritchard can initiate offense with their combination of playmaking, shooting, and shot creation. Porziņģis’ threat as an interior scorer and outside shooter is undeniable.
The Celtics’ elite surrounding talent allows them to overcome off nights from the Jays. In Game 1 against Orlando, Tatum, Brown, and Porziņģis were a combined 15-44 from the field and 1-12 from three. However, White stepped up with 30 points (seven threes), Pritchard poured in 19 points (four threes), and Holiday hit three crucial deep balls in the third quarter. White, Pritchard, and Holiday combined for 14 of the Celtics’ 16 threes; this scoring boost helped the Celtics secure a 103-86 win.
The Celtics found a new way to torture defenses (and it’s not with Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown) pic.twitter.com/bRKgfxiX7s
— Jack Simone (@JackSimoneNBA) April 17, 2025
Getting star-level production out of complementary players is a luxury for the Celtics, and it makes them impossible to game plan against. When the Celtics are hitting their threes, they are unbeatable, and luckily for Boston, they have so many three-point threats. As the Celtics aim to repeat as champions, their three-point shooting and depth are key advantages. Ultimately, the Celtics’ talent is undeniable, but Joe Mazzulla deserves a ton of credit for masterminding the perfect offensive system.
Photo credit: © Troy Wayrynen-Imagn Images
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