In the Eastern Conference G7, the Celtics are just one win away from creating the biggest comeback in NBA history.
At 5:07 after the opening, both sides were unsuccessful in their offense, and the Green Army took a 9-4 lead.
At this point coach Mazura requested a timeout.
After the timeout, the Heat's poor hand was able to recover, and the Green Army became the side that could not attack and defend, and since this timeout, the Green Army has never overtaken the score, and finally lost 84-103 to the Heat, failed to complete the historic comeback, and missed the opportunity to return to the Finals.
In fact, this is not the first time that Mazura has suspended at the "immortal level".
In G6 two days ago, the Green Army led by 10 points in the final 4 minutes, and it was a timeout by Mazura that "helped" the Heat catch up, and if it weren't for White's magical kill, the Green Army would have said goodbye to this season two days ago.
Against the disciplined Heat, the Celtics exposed too many problems in this series, and the first one was coach Mazura.
Turn back the clock to the first game of this set of series.
In the first half of the Eastern Conference finals between the Celtics and the Heat, the Celtics led the Heat by nine points.
Everyone thinks this will be another season for the Celtics to reach the top of the East. Famous commentator Skip even tweeted ahead of time: "There is no suspense left in this series, and the Heat have no chance." ”
Then, the Greens contributed the most humiliating quarter of the season, 25-46 in a single quarter, they allowed the Heat to shoot 17-of-26 (6-of-9 from three-point range, 6-of-8 from the free throws) offensive efficiency, instantly wiped out the lead, and went into the final quarter with a 12-point deficit.
The bitter fruit of this game, the Green Army did not turn over at the end, and even the entire series was never turned over.
And the scene that happened in this game is destined to become a nightmare for Green Army fans in recent years.
In the face of the Heat's crazy points-taking, the home fans couldn't contain their mood and shouted a timeout, and coach Mazura was unmoved. Until the official pause, Mazura finally walked up to the players with a tactical board, and what he did was not to explain the tactics or warn the players to calm down, but to drop the tactical board in a fit of anger, leaving the stunned players aside.
Anger in a manager is never new, it's a manager's power.
If it can deter the players and burst out energy, this fire is admirable;
But what if this one is just trying to cover up his own incompetence? Then this story can only make people laugh out of their teeth.
As mentioned above, Mazura falls into the second case.
There's no shame in admitting that the Heat played better, but it's also an indisputable fact that the Celtics didn't play well.
Objectively speaking, Mazura himself has difficulties. Perhaps in his mind, he never thought he could be the manager of a team, especially a championship team.
But a month before the start of the season, Uduka chose to blow himself up, and the team's most painstaking assistant coach has been sent to Utah in advance, temporarily selecting a new coach from outside? Combined with the time, there was simply no time to renegotiate the contract, so Mazura could only drive the duck to the shelves.
So where did he come from?
To be clear, Mazura is two years younger than Horford. In college, he served as a guard at West Virginia University, averaging a lackluster 4.8 points, 2.4 rebounds and 2.6 assists per game during his career. He entered the 2011 draft with great hopes, but of course he was unsuccessful.
So he gave up his dream of being a player and became a teaching assistant at Granville State University and Fairmont State University. In the 2016-17 season, Mazura began working as an assistant coach for the Green Army's Red Claws. He then chose to leave and briefly became the head coach of Fairmont State, his only career as a head coach before becoming an NBA coach.
In the summer of 2019, Mazura came to Celtics as a teaching assistant, where he worked with Stevens and then Uduka. But as mentioned above, he is lower than Will Hardy in the shoes of the Green Army management.
It is not that the rookie manager won the championship without precedent, but it does not mean that a rookie can succeed.
In the case of Kerr, who had won five championships before becoming a Warriors coach, he learned a lot from Phil Jackson and Popovich.
Taking Tyronn Lu as an example, although he did not have a strong resume as a player, he could cooperate with big names at every stage, and he could become friends with many big names as a small person, which shows his personality charm.
Take Nas, for example, who became head coach at the age of 23 and had won numerous championships in various countries and leagues before becoming Raptors head coach.
Even Mazura's predecessor, Uduka, was one of Popovich's disciples.
And what about Mazura's resume? It can be said that it is clear.
In hindsight, a general runners-up team aiming to make a comeback was handed over to a novice to coach. Like an unlicensed driver coming up and driving a Ferrari, it is normal to overturn.
At the beginning of the season, everything was about running-in.
The team doesn't need more systems and tactics, the players are in good health, and Mazura himself hasn't had time to perform his skills, so Tatums still play basketball with the concept of Uduka.
The Celtics have been on the rise, winning streak after win, taking all types of opponents in stride, and they have been in the first place in the league early.
As the season progressed, the Green Army began to suffer minor illnesses, and Mazura's transformation of the team began to improve.
One of the most obvious changes is the increase in playing time for players such as Hauser and Cornet. It's not that they look down on them, but they're a cash machine-like presence on the defensive end.
But after all, it's the regular season, and these things don't seem like a big deal.
What's more, their appearance also invisibly reduces the burden on others in the team and is conducive to the health management of the team. At the same time, one of the reasons the Green Army lost to the Warriors last season was the limited depth of the roster, so it is not a bad thing to be able to dig more into the team.
But at the same time, the Green Army began to get strange.
This strangeness is not reflected in the results, and as we all know, the regular season league situation is disrupted and everyone has their own problems, so the Green Army's occasional rout does not seem too serious.
So what's in the strange place?
For example, they often lose to teams whose opposing stars are absent;
For example, they often lose with super high drop-off points;
For example, they often lose to teams at the bottom of the league;
For example, they are often reversed with a big lead.
There are countless such scenes, such as the away loss to the Thunder, the opponent did not have Alexander, but they bombed the Green Army by 150 points; For example, facing the weakest Rockets, the six-in-a-row in the West, the other side is close to giving up, and the Green Army is still unable to swallow a victory; For example, against the Nets without Durant and Irving, they were reversed by each other with a 28-point lead.
Again, the factor mentioned above.
Because each team in the league has its own special circumstances this season, these hidden dangers of the Green Army do not seem to be so great, at least they still maintain the second-best record in the league, at least their core players can finish the regular season healthy, and that is enough.
However, fortresses often begin to crumble from within.
Other teams gradually set things up at the end of the regular season to form their strongest form of the season.
These hidden dangers of the Green Army slowly began to erode the team, and were spread indefinitely in the playoffs, resulting in them not being able to play the basketball they wanted.
Face the Eagles in the first round.
It's nothing to lose G3 away, just sell one more ticket.
Everyone thought the Green Army would end the series at home, and Michael Jackson's sister even booked a concert at the Hawks' home stadium in advance. The Greens lost at home to Murray's suspended Hawks, who were eliminated by Trae Young before the end and had to go away to end the series.
Face the 76ers in the second round.
In Embiid's absence, the Green Army came up and lost a home court, which helped Harden find confidence.
They were almost on the verge of getting the match point, but the end of regular time and overtime in G4 exposed all of the Green Army's problems.
Harden first completed a quasi-tie and dragged the game into overtime; He then hit a hit in extra time to lead the team to 2-2;
In both key defensive waves, the Green Army has a serious leak and is not here to meet the players today, so let's not discuss whose fault it is.
Harden's bravery wasn't the deciding factor in the Green Army's loss.
In the last attack of regular time, Mazura did not call a timeout, Tatum burst to the basket and encountered a three-man bag, he passed to Smart in the big open position, who deflected a three-pointer;
In the final attack of overtime, Mazura still did not call a timeout, and Tatum gave the same routine to Smart again, who hit a three-point shot but it was too late, and the Green Army lost.
These rounds have exposed the Celtics' problems at a glance: the defense is not focused, and the offense is not routine.
On the basketball court, isn't breaking the sky about offense and defense? And there is nothing that Mazura can do about it.
The Celtics then lost at home and Mazura made the only right decision in this year's playoffs.
He took White's Lift Lowe and with Tatum's bravery at the end of G6 and a record 71 points, the Green Army crossed the hurdle to return to the Eastern Conference.
With excellent strength and the tough attitude of the Green Army players led by Tatum.
At one point, the Green Army went from 0-3 to 3-3 on aggregate in the series, and in the process of winning three games in a row, Mazura did have his contribution. However, in the most important G7, Mazura still dropped the chain, he was at a loss in the face of unexpected situations on the field, and he could only rely on the individual ability of his players in the face of the backward point difference.
Mazurra's first thoughts after today's loss were as follows: "It's one of the best dressing rooms I've ever been in, in some ways we failed, but it wasn't because the players lacked the sense of unity or quality. ”
Mazura certainly has reason to call this the best dressing room he's ever been in, because the good teenagers, led by Tatum, have chosen to support Mazura countless times when he has been criticized badly.
However, the support of the players is more due to personal recuperation and the maintenance of team unity.
Or take Tatum as an example, many soldiers of the Green Army have followed the tactician Stevens, followed the stick Uduka and others have played under champion managers such as Budenholzer and Popovich.
What level is Mazura exactly? I believe they all have a number in their hearts.
With the championship defeat, the Celtics are bound to see a roster reshuffle this summer.
As an overall runner-up last season and runners-up in the East this season, the Celtics will undoubtedly continue to strengthen to attack the championship.
Many people in the squad, led by Jaylen Brown, have exposed their problems and weaknesses, and the overall top-heavy situation of the team's overall roster needs to change.
And most importantly, they need a manager who can really lead them to the top.
The Celtics have proven that all season: Mazura is not the man.