BOSTON — Within the Celtics blowout win over the Hornets on Friday, Torrey Craig recorded what was maybe the perfect 12-minute stint of his younger Celtics profession. And, he did so together with his 10-year-old son, Braylon, at TD Backyard for the primary time.
Craig scored a single basket — a fastbreak dunk — however completed with a game-high +/- of +20, recording 5 rebounds, 4 assists, and three steals.
And, Joe Mazzulla was so excited to be requested in regards to the veteran’s efficiency that he interrupted the primary postgame query inquiring about it.
“He was sick, man,” Mazzulla stated.
Craig has performed restricted minutes since he arrived in Boston. Nonetheless, he advised CelticsBlog final month the expertise with the defending champs has been every part he anticipated “and rather more.”
“The fellows are nice, the coaches are nice, and it’s a profitable tradition,” Craig stated. “I’m glad to be part of it.”
For Mazzulla, getting to educate Craig has been a luxurious.
“He doesn’t care — he simply desires to play,” Mazzulla stated. “And I appreciated watching a man who, whatever the scoreboard, simply performs on the degree that he performs at, and consistently works. And he’s been doing it a very long time.”
Joe Mazzulla likened Torrey Craig to Blake Griffin after Friday’s win
Mazzulla has credited former Celtic Blake Griffin on quite a few for getting into his Keep Prepared function throughout the 2022-23 season, Mazzulla’s first because the Celtics’ head coach.
On Friday, he drew a comparability between Griffin and Craig, recalling a second the place Griffin’s buy-in was notably evident.
“He [Griffin] got here to me throughout a Keep Prepared Group recreation and requested me what he might do to get higher,” Mazzulla recalled, referencing a second he’s introduced up a number of occasions over time. “And when Blake requested that query, it stated so much about him, and it stated so much in regards to the surroundings. And also you begin to see guys who dangle round a very long time and why they dangle round round so much — and Torrey’s in that class.”
Craig didn’t play within the recreation’s first three quarters, however he got here into the ultimate interval with a ton of power. Since he signed with the Celtics in February, Craig has appeared in 15 video games, averaging 11.3 minutes an evening.
A good portion of these alternatives have are available in blowout minutes on the finish of video games. However, Mazzulla has made clear he values these stints.
“I assumed he set the tone, beginning the quarter off with a turnover,” he stated. “And to me, which means simply as a lot to me as what any of the opposite guys do — simply his professionalism and competitiveness.”
Craig’s son, Braylon, joins Celtics’ family-oriented tradition
Braylon spent the sport on the Celtics baseline alongside Jayson Tatum’s 7-year-old son Deuce, and the 2 new pals profusely celebrated every spotlight play within the fourth quarter.
Torrey Craig’s son has been having a blast on the baseline tonight
Craig taking part in a few of his greatest minutes as a Celtic with him in attendance pic.twitter.com/25zrNjnmFf
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzell) April 12, 2025
“He will get so excited for the video games,” Craig advised CLNS Media’s Bobby Manning postgame. “He’s as aggressive as me.”
After Craig dunked the ball within the fourth, his son appeared to rejoice with him, which momentarily slowed Craig from getting again on protection.
“His son virtually made us surrender a 3,” Mazzulla deadpanned on the podium.
“Joe advised him subsequent time he does that, that’s 10 push-ups,” Craig stated with a smile.
Whereas Braylon was a brand new addition, he turned the most recent Celtic child to make a outstanding look on the sidelines. Al Horford’s 11-year-old son Ean is a locker room staple, and loads of different youngsters, like Jrue Vacation’s youngsters, frolick by the court docket pregame.
It’s an surroundings that Joe Mazzulla has inspired since he’s turn into head coach.
“It’s one of many highlights of my small tenure right here — the tradition that we’ve got in regards to the youngsters being within the locker room, the youngsters being on the bench,” he stated.
Mazzulla stated that Braylon bought to handle the workforce pregame. Then, he ran out of the tunnel with the remainder of the squad and watched the 36-point demolition from the entrance row.
“To only have the recollections that you just’re gonna have, to your son to be round, I believe is crucial factor,” Mazzulla stated. “I means so much to me that the fellows are keen to deliver their youngsters round, and also you get to see the enjoyment of it.”
Mazzulla stated it’s vital to him that the youngsters be round in order that they get an opportunity to raised perceive why their fathers aren’t all the time accessible.
“We surrender every part for 9, ten months a 12 months,” he stated earlier this season. “We miss video games, we miss choosing them up from faculty, we miss all of the issues. You need your youngsters to have the ability to go and see, ‘hey, because of this I missed apply as we speak, because of this I missed being at one thing as we speak.’”
