Joe Mazzulla has the same 2-word answer to all questions after the Pacers loss

Joe Mazzulla he was not happy with how the Boston area was doing Celtics vs. Indiana Pacers match it turned out.

Macula is halfway through his fourth season as the head coach of the Celtics. Despite seeing significant roster changes from last offseason and being without Jayson Tatum due to his Achilles rehab, the coach adjusted by keeping Boston in the playoffs.

However, the difference in talent leaves his team vulnerable to heavy losses. In the final seconds of their contest against Indiana, they conceded a game-winning shot to Pascal Siakam after they couldn’t get their own shot to go down on the other end.

hammer reflected in the loss after the game, according to reporter Zach Cox. The postgame presser was brief as the coach had only two words to repeat to six questions from the media, directly referring to what happened with Siakam’s game-winner.

“Illegal screen,” Macula repeated.

This was Joe Mazzula’s full presser after the game with reporters in Indiana, as seen on NBCSB. He answered “illegal screen” to all six questions he was given.

Clearly unhappy with the play that led to Siakam’s game-winner. pic.twitter.com/LdMFIBVS2E

— Zack Cok (@zm_cok) January 13, 2026

How Joe Mazzulla’s Celtics performed against the Pacers

It will be a frustrating loss for Joe Mazzula and the Celtics to look back on. They had a chance to win on the road, but in the end it cost them because the officials couldn’t spot the illegal screen.

Boston was missing Jaylen Brown as he was out with an injury. Still, they matched Indiana, as they took both teams down to the wire before Siakam’s game-winner.

Perimeter shooting and ball movement made the difference in this matchup. The Pacers won in both categories, making 16 triples and 29 assists. It wasn’t the same for the Celtics as they made nine 3-pointers and dished out 22 assists.

Four players scored in double figures in Boston’s loss. Peyton Pritchard led the way with 23 points, eight assists, four rebounds and two steals. He shot 10-of-22 from the field, including 3-of-7 from beyond the arc. Derrick White was next with 18 points and five assists, Anferni Simmons had 16 points and four assists, while Neemias Cueta had 15 points and eight rebounds.

Boston fell to a 24-15 record on the season, holding third place in the Eastern Conference standings. They are one game ahead of the Toronto Raptors and 1.5 games ahead of the Philadelphia 76ers, while trailing the New York Knicks by one game and the Detroit Pistons by 4.5 games.

The Celtics will look to bounce back in their next game, staying on the road. They play the Miami Heat on January 15th at 7:30pm ET.