Locked On Celtics – December 23, 2025

GUTSY: Joe Mazzulla BENCHES starters, bench SAVES Boston Celtics in FUN comeback!

Host: John Karalis (Locked On Podcast Network, Boston Sports Journal beat writer)
Theme: Breaking down an improbable and gritty Boston Celtics comeback win over the Indiana Pacers, driven by head coach Joe Mazzulla’s gutsy benching of the starters and the exceptional energy and execution from the Celtics' bench unit.

Episode Overview

John Karalis recaps a dramatic Celtics victory over the Pacers, highlighting the pivotal decision by coach Joe Mazzulla to bench all his starters early in the third quarter. The move sparked a third straight win for the Celtics, showcasing both enormous bench contributions and the blossoming of young talent like Ugo Gonzalez. Karalis examines what went wrong early, how the Celtics turned it around, and why this win is significant both for this season and the future.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Early Struggles and Historic Shooting Variance

• [02:20] Game Start: Pacers come out red-hot, making 7 of their first 8 or 8 of 9 three-pointers.
  • Celtics looked flat, missing shots, weak on both ends.
  • Karalis: “The second quarter was just awful. The Celtics were awful in the second quarter. The Pacers kept doing their thing. Pascal Siakam was unstoppable.”
• [04:00] Halftime Deficit: Celtics trailed by 18; Pacers shot 60% from three in the first half despite being a league-worst 32.3% 3PT team.
• Karalis: “The things I was just afraid of...don’t let them get hot from three and don’t let Pascal Siakam kill you. And that’s exactly what happened in the first half.”

2. Joe Mazzulla’s Game-Changing Decision [09:10]

• Early Third Quarter: Celtics show no signs of life; deficit balloons to 20.
• Joe Mazzulla’s Move: Calls timeout and benches all starters, with Josh Minot (starting for Jordan Walsh) already out.
  • Sends in: Baylor Scheierman, Ugo Gonzalez, Anthony Simons, Sam Hauser, Luca Garza.
• Karalis: “Ballsiest move from Joe Mazzulla.”
• Bench Response: Instant energy—defensive pressure, rebounding, hustle.
  • Sequence: 20-point margin shrinks fast on 19–6 run. Pacers suddenly forget how to shoot, going ice-cold. Crowd gets back into it.

3. Bench Heroes and Key Individual Performances [11:20, 22:30]

Ugo Gonzalez [13:30, 24:40]

• Karalis:
  • “Ugo Gonzalez, that kid is going to be special. ...I promise you, Ugo Gonzalez is going to be in that top 10 [of the 2024 NBA redraft]. He has incredible instincts. ...He was a menace out there.”
  • “He drew an offensive foul, hit the deck, got up, kind of smiled, he laughed, he let out a yell, he got the crowd going.”
  • Statline: 11 rebounds (9 defensive), key hustle plays, energized defense.
  • Memorable Tatum exchange: [24:31] Postgame, Jason Tatum to Ugo: “What’d I say to you yesterday?” Ugo: “I can’t say right now.” Tatum: "That you're a bad mother—" (laughs, team respect for the rookie).

Luca Garza [13:50]

• Karalis: “Luca Garza...persistent. He always looks like he played basketball in a sauna...He’s out there just persistent on the offensive rebounds, keeping the ball alive.”

Anthony Simons [21:10, 30:00]

• Stepped up as bench scorer
• Karalis: “Joe was careful to give Anthony Simons a lot of credit after the game. ...This was a real good kind of example of what he can be for Boston on a night where Jalen just kind of didn’t have it for a little while.”
• Future: “There is a world where the Celtics keep Anthony Simons...He could be a high-end sixth man for the Celtics at least for another year or two.”

Baylor Scheierman, Sam Hauser [14:10]

• Scheierman: Took a big offensive foul, key defensive play.
• Team stat: Bench scored 32 of 103 Celtics points; Pacers’ bench managed just 18.

Jalen Brown [20:31, 26:40]

• Benched three minutes into second half; later said:
  • Quote: “I was pissed. I thought we were giving in. ...Turns out it was the right call. The bench won the game for us. Great call by Joe.”
• Finished with 31 points, 9 rebounds; scored 14 in the fourth, outscoring the entire Pacers team in the quarter.

4. Shooting Variance & Pacers Meltdown [15:24–18:00]

• Pacers:
  • First half: 12/20 from 3
  • Second half: 1/20 from 3
• Karalis: “I can't ever really remember water finding its level that hard, that quickly.”
• [17:04, Tony East – Locked On Pacers]:
  • “They made 12 of their 23s in the first half...then made one of their 23s in the second half of this game en route to blowing that 20-point lead. You can’t win that way.”
  • Pacers’ lowest effective FG% in a half this season (lowest by any NBA team this year).

5. Celtics’ Bench Elevation & Future Takeaways [19:30, 31:40]

• Third straight strong bench performance (40+ points in previous two, 32 tonight).
• Celtics bench outscored Pacers bench 32–18.
• Karalis: “That was a team win.”
• Roster Construction/Future Outlook:
  • Gonzalez “a big part of Celtics’ future,”
  • Simons could be a sixth man,
  • Emerging role players (Minot, Walsh) and “need to find a serviceable big” going forward.

6. Memorable Moments & Quotes

Joe Mazzulla’s Gutsy Coaching

• [13:10] Karalis: “Joe pressing the right buttons again. ...He comes in, makes this decision, flips the game, wins the Celtics the game. Just mastery.”

Jalen Brown’s Reaction

• [20:31] Karalis (relaying Jalen’s words):
  • “I was pissed... Turns out it was the right call. The bench won the game for us. Great call by Joe.”

Locker Room Tatum–Ugo Exchange

• [24:31] Karalis: “Jason Tatum out there calling Ugo a bad [expletive]! ...That respect out there is really amazing.”

Future Outlook

• [31:40] Karalis: “Regardless of what happens this year, what matters more is what they’re figuring out for next year. ...The more this stuff works out, the less Brad Stevens has to do.”

Setting Up Next Matchup

• [34:12] Karalis: “Jalen [Brown] was saying...‘they’re talking trash over there, one guy in particular. ...I’m looking forward to playing them again on Friday.’ I think Jalen wants to blow the doors off that team.”

Important Timestamps & Segments

• [01:12] Opening theme; scene set at TD Garden
• [02:20] First half struggles recap
• [09:10] Mazzulla benches the starters
• [12:00–14:30] Bench takes over/comeback begins
• [15:24] Shooting variance and Pacers perspective
• [17:04] Tony East (Locked On Pacers) reaction
• [20:31] Jalen Brown's reaction/quotes
• [22:30] Individual performances: Ugo, Garza, Simons
• [24:31] Tatum–Ugo Gonzalez postgame locker room moment
• [26:40] Brown, Pritchard, White stat lines
• [31:40] Future takeaways; roster construction
• [34:12] Preview of next Pacers matchup

Notable Quotes

• John Karalis ([13:10]): “Joe pressing the right buttons. ...Comes in, makes this decision, flips the game, wins the Celtics the game. Just mastery.”
• Jalen Brown (relayed by Karalis at [20:31]): “I was pissed. ...Turns out it was the right call. The bench won the game for us. Great call by Joe.”
• Tony East ([17:04]): “You can’t win [a game] shooting that poorly, even with a very good scoring first half.”
• Karalis on Ugo Gonzalez ([13:30]): “He has incredible instincts. He has incredible defensive instincts. ...He was a menace out there."
• Tatum to Ugo Gonzalez ([24:31]): “That you’re a bad mother—” [censored] (team respect, passing the torch to the rookie).

Takeaways

• Mazzulla’s Trust in the Bench: Willingness to bench his stars in a bad spot paid off in spades—bench outplayed Pacers and spearheaded comeback.
• Bench Step-up: Ugo Gonzalez, Anthony Simons, and Luca Garza were instrumental, offering a glimpse of potential future core pieces.
• Shooting Swings Changed Everything: Pacers’ historic cold snap coincided with Celtics’ surge; fundamentals (rebounding, effort) set the stage.
• Long-term Implications: Development of young players like Ugo Gonzalez and reintegration of disgruntled talents like Simons could define future Celtics cores.
• Celtics Resilience: Despite being short-handed and down big, the team rallied around effort, defense, and opportunistic offense—showcasing “team win” culture.

Conclusion

This episode delivers an inside look into one of the most remarkable Celtics comebacks of the season, spotlighting Joe Mazzulla's bold leadership and the vital contributions of the bench. With anecdotes from the locker room, honest player reactions, and sharp analysis of on-court dynamics, Karalis paints a vibrant picture of a team finding new ways to win—and sparking optimism for a promising future.