Photo via Yahoo Sports

For 2 Celtics, Thursday night was extra special

The Boston Celtics made headlines Thursday night when assistant coach DJ MacLeay took over as head coach for the second half of their preseason win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, a 124–113 victory at Rocket Arena. The unusual move came after head coach Joe Mazzulla announced he would sit out the opener, splitting duties between MacLeay and assistant Tony Dobbins—a decision made after both coaches interviewed for head-coaching roles with other teams earlier this year but ultimately remained with the Celtics.

MacLeay, who joined the organization in 2021 as a player-enhancement coach and now leads defensive schemes, called the experience ‘a huge testament’ to his growth, using the opportunity to reinforce key game-plan messages with the roster. His leadership also coincided with a standout performance from rookie Luka Garza, who recorded career-highs with 22 points and 10 rebounds, later calling the night ‘special’ for playing under MacLeay’s formal direction for the first time.

Up nextNBA· 47m ago

76ers' Joel Embiid also denies tardiness report, questions why it happened: 'It feels like I'm an easy target'