Celtics HC Joe Mazzulla draws Doc Rivers comp after blown series vs. 76ers

Joe Mazzulla got comparisons to Doc Rivers following his playoff failure in the Boston Celtics’ series loss to the Philadelphia 76ers on Saturday night.

Mazzulla completed his fourth season with the Celtics, having led them to the championship in Year 2 in 2024. However, playoff exits have surrounded his stint as underwhelming results have garnered him criticism over the years.

This latest playoff loss saw him blow a 3-1 lead in the series. This is reminiscent of Rivers, who blew multiple 3-1 leads throughout his head coaching career. While he didn’t do that with the Celtics, it doesn’t change the fact that he blew both leads with the Orlando Magic in 2003 and with the Los Angeles Clippers in 2020.

Mazzulla blowing the 3-1 lead was the first time in franchise history that Boston suffered this type of feat. As a result, it didn’t take long for fans to take note of Mazzulla achieving Rivers’ undesirable feat.

Joe Mazulla after blowing a 3-1 lead pic.twitter.com/1QZhh6UfKA

— PrizePicks (@PrizePicks) May 3, 2026

How Joe Mazzulla, Celtics performed against 76ers

Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics will have some self-reflecting to do after their playoff collapse to the 76ers in the first round.

Boston had to play Game 7 without Jayson Tatum due to knee soreness. They put up a valiant effort throughout stretches of the game, but couldn’t get the 3 ball to go down consistently as it greatly cost them in the final minutes of regulation.

Five players scored in double-digits for Boston in the loss. Jaylen Brown led the team with 33 points, nine rebounds, four assists, and three blocks. He shot 12-of-27 from the field, including 3-of-9 from beyond the arc, and 6-of-6 from the free-throw line. Derrick White came next with 26 points and six rebounds, Neemias Queta had 17 points and 12 rebounds, Payton Pritchard put up 13 points and seven assists, while Sam Hauser provided 11 points and three rebounds.

The Celtics will look to regroup in the offseason. They look forward to having Tatum be fully healthy next season but will need to address the roster to elevate their chances of being title contenders once again.

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