After Jayson Tatum’s ejection Friday night, Joe Mazzulla celebrated his star player’s passion

Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is pleased his star player is playing with passion, despite an ejection against the 76ers Friday night.

Boston Celtics head coach has a knack for the passionate. He famously quipped there’s “no such thing as too intense” last season, and more recently shared he’s not interested in making friends while on the job. He believes playing with an edge can be a competitive advantage.

This dynamic extends to his star players, namely Jayson Tatum. In recent years, Tatum has had a knack for wearing his emotions on his sleeve, something Mazzulla has praised in the past. That much was true Friday night during Boston’s win over the visiting Philadelphia 76ers. Tatum earned an ejection in the third period after an offensive foul and subsequent conversation with the referees. And although the Celtics went on to win the game despite losing their best player prematurely, it was a point of conversation afterward. Mazzulla seemed unmoved when asked how he responded postgame with Tatum.

“I smiled, gave him a hug,” Mazzulla said. “Laughed it off.”