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BOSTON, MA – SEPTEMBER 29: Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla talks with reporters during Boston Celtics media day at the Auerbach Center on September 29, 2025 in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo By Winslow Townson/Getty Images)
The Boston Celtics walked into Milwaukee on Monday night down two starters. Jaylen Brown was out with an illness. Neemias Queta got a rest day after dropping 27 points the night before against Philadelphia.
The Milwaukee Bucks were getting Giannis Antetokounmpo back from a calf injury. Playing at home. Crowd energized. Everything pointed toward a competitive game for a shorthanded Celtics team on the second night of a back-to-back.
Boston won 108-81. After the game, Joe Mazzulla explained a driving force behind the team’s success.
Mazzulla Reveals the Secret
Mazzulla was asked about the Celtics’ competitive character after the win. What he revealed says everything about how this team operates.
“We want to validate work ethic,” Mazzulla said. “We want to validate the process by trusting all 12, 13, 14, or 15 guys that are in the game.”
The secret is not complicated. Playing time gets earned through daily preparation, not draft position or salary. Every player on the roster stays ready because they know the opportunity will come. When it does, the expectation is execution.
That trust is the foundation. Mazzulla sees it as something built over years, not just this season.
“It goes back to the beginning of the season. One of the biggest strengths of the locker room has always been being able to win games when guys are out when we’ve sat guys over the last three or four years. That’s just kind of the DNA of the locker room.”
The Celtics had a 9 man rotation against the Bucks. It did not matter. Different players step up every night. The system works because everyone buys in. The secret is that simple.
How Gonzalez Embodies the System
Hugo Gonzalez made his third career start Monday night. The 20-year-old rookie finished with 18 points, 16 rebounds, three steals and two blocks. All career highs.
Only one other Celtics rookie has ever posted those exact numbers in a game. Larry Bird, in November 1979. Elite company for the young Spaniard.
Boston drafted him 28th overall last summer. He leads all NBA rookies in plus/minus this season. That stat reflects exactly what Mazzulla described. Daily work meeting opportunity.
Gonzalez spoke with NBC Sports Boston after the win. His words echoed what his coach preaches.
“We just have our standard, we have a winning mentality every game,” Gonzalez said. “We don’t like to take excuses.”
GettyGiannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks dribbles the ball against Hugo González #28 of the Boston Celtics during the third quarter at Fiserv Forum on March 02, 2026 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
How the Game Played Out for the Celtics
Milwaukee started the first quarter well. Antetokounmpo looked fresh. The home crowd was loud.
Gonzalez answered for the Celtics. He drove through contact and scored Boston’s first basket. Next possession, he grabbed an offensive rebound and scored again. Four quick points. The run stopped.
Derrick White finished with 18 points and 9 assists. Payton Pritchard added 25 points and 9 assists off the bench. Boston built a double-digit lead before halftime and never looked back. The margin reached 30 in the fourth quarter.
The Celtics improved to 41-20. They face the Charlotte Hornets at home Wednesday night.
Final Word for the Celtics
Joe Mazzulla revealed the secret after Monday’s win. Just preparation meeting opportunity.
Every Celtics player knows the deal. Put in the work. Stay ready. Execute when called. The system validates it by actually trusting everyone when circumstances demand it.
Hugo Gonzalez joined Larry Bird in the record books Monday night. More importantly, he helped Boston win by 27 points on a back-to-back with nine healthy players. That does not happen without a culture that believes what it preaches.
The depth questioned in October has become a weapon in March. Mazzulla calls it the DNA of the locker room. A foundation built over years.
The Celtics are 41-20. The system works.
Keith Watkins Keith Watkins is a sports journalist covering the NBA for Heavy.com, with a focus on the Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, and Los Angeles Lakers. He previously wrote for FanSided, NBA Analysis Network, and Last Word On Sports. Keith is based in Bangkok, Thailand. More about Keith Watkins
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