Celts' Mazzulla fined $35K for comments to ref

NEW YORK -- Joe Mazzulla's Christmas greetings were costly.

The NBA fined the Boston Celtics coach $35,000 connected Saturday "for aggressively pursuing and directing inappropriate connection toward a crippled official" astatine the extremity of his team's nonaccomplishment to the Chicago Bulls connected Thursday night.

Mazzulla's outburst followed Boston getting whistled for 3 method fouls -- he sewage one, Jaylen Brown sewage 1 and Jayson Tatum sewage 1 -- successful the 4th fourth of that 117-108 loss. When clip expired, Mazzulla appeared to person immoderate angry words for referee Justin Van Duyne.

Mazzulla later said he was conscionable trying to dispersed vacation cheer to the referee crew.

"I conscionable hadn't seen them successful a while, truthful conscionable a merry Christmas, happy holidays, wasn't judge I was going to spot them earlier the holiday," Mazzulla explained successful his postgame news conference. "I conscionable can't fto a infinitesimal spell by wherever you wish personification conscionable the champion to them and theirs and their families."

Video of the speech does not look to bespeak he was offering gladsome tidings.

Crew main Tony Brothers said aft the crippled that Brown sewage his method for questioning the integrity of an official. Tatum sewage his method for "an overt action towards an official," Brothers said.

Brown said Van Duyne called him for a method for nary logic and that Mazzulla "didn't opportunity anything" that would person merited a technical.

"You can't frighten guys pinch a method foul," Brown said.