Entering Tuesday’s matchup with the Bulls, the Celtics were more focused on winning the game than doing so by a specific margin.
Once they built a sizable lead, however, their mindset clearly shifted, and coach Joe Mazzulla elected to leave his starters in for much longer than he otherwise would have.
The approach paid dividends, as the Celtics prevailed, 124-97, to advance to the in-season tournament quarterfinals. Winning by 22 or fewer wouldn’t have sufficed, and the Celtics would have been eliminated.
Jrue Holiday acknowledged it was “a little weird” to be on the floor with a 30-point lead late in the game.