Joe Mazzulla rattled off a series of stats to support the Celtics’ defense, which has faced criticism during the team’s recent slump.

Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla freely admitted Tuesday that his team had to improve on both sides of the ball to emerge from its recent slump. Yet, he defended the team’s bouts with effort and getting defensive stops. The Celtics were shredded Sunday by the Indiana Pacers, especially on dribble penetration and paint points.

After a flop at the '24 ASG driven by an exit from the playground style format, a return to the old style that didn't have its intended effect.