Celtics’ Joe Mazzulla named finalist for NBA coach of the year

Celtics coach Joe Mazzola is one of the three Finalists On Sunday evening, the NBA announced the award for the best coach in the NBA.

J.B. Bickerstaff of Detroit and Mitch Johnson of San Antonio are the other finalists. All finalists have coached their teams to first- and second-place finishes in their conferences.

Detroit is the top seed in the East. The Pistons went 14-68 two years ago before compiling 60 wins this year. Bickerstaff was the betting favorite for most of the year before Mazzola recently overtook him.

The Celtics, who have played the bulk of this season without Jayson Tatum, are the No. 2 seed in the East. Many viewed this as a potential gap year due to the amount of time Tatum was expected to miss, along with the departures of Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday, Al Horford, and Luke Kornet.

Spurs have compiled the second-best record in the league with 62 wins this season. Led by Victor Wimpanyama, Deron Fox, and Stephon Castle, San Antonio once again became a contender in the Western Conference. The Spurs went 34-48 last season under interim coach Mitch Johnson, who took over from Gregg Popovich. The interim tag has since been removed, and Spurs have taken their team game to a new level.

The Celtics had no finalists in the categories of Defensive Player of the Year, Most Improved Player, Clutch Player of the Year, and Rookie of the Year.

Jaylen Brown was considered a fringe MVP candidate, but he didn’t make the top three. Neemias Koeta was left out of the MVP finalists despite doubling his scoring and rebounding averages as he settled into the starting center role for Boston this season and played a pivotal role on a team that finished in the top three in rebounding.

Jayson Tatum has been named a finalist for Tyman-Stokes Teammate of the Year. Former Celtic Marcus Smart, now on the Lakers, was also a finalist.

When asked about his Coach of the Year nomination, Mazzola called the award stupid and said he wished he would never be asked about it again. He praised his staff and players for the impact they are making on the franchise.

According to BetMGM, Mazzulla finished the regular season as the favorite to win the award.

The NBA Coach of the Year award will be announced later during the postseason.

The NBA will announce the winners of Defensive Player of the Year, Player of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, Sportsmanship and Most Improved Player this week.

Khari A. Thompson

Sports reporter

Khary Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khary covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.