Joe Mazzulla offers on-brand reaction to Grant Williams Cheap Shot

Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla gained attention this week when he said he wanted physicality to be reintroduced to the NBA.

Well, Mazzulla got his wish on Friday evening. The only downside was that his star player had a cheap shot at the other end.

Charlotte Hornets forward Grant Williams swooped in and ran over his former Celtics teammate Jayson Tatum as the five-time All-Star marched down the court with the ball with 2:02 left in Boston's 124-109 win at the Spectrum Center . The unnecessary foul was ruled a flagrant 2, resulting in an automatic ejection for Williams.

Mazzulla, as he is known, reacted to the hard collision between Williams and Tatum in a unique way.

“I loved it. It was great. It was great,” Mazzulla told reporters after the game, according to NBC Sports Boston coverage. “Physical game, the boys handled it well. Great attitude, great execution. I wouldn’t have had it any other way.”

Tatum, who scored a game-high 32 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, quickly got up after being knocked down by Williams and made his way to the free throw line. Tatum's co-star Jaylen Brown came to his defense and said a few words on Williams' behalf before the two were separated.

However, Tatum's emotionless reaction caught Mazzulla's attention and he couldn't have been happier about it.

“I don’t like seeing him (in the truck). I’m glad he’s okay,” Mazzulla said. “What I liked most was how he jumped up straight away, didn't lie around and didn't really upset him. He just went up, went to the free throw line and did his business. I don't like the fact that he did it, but I'm glad he's okay. But I'm happier with how he responded to it. Just get up, move on to the next move and the team reacted well. It’s an honor for him.”

The Hornets were troublesome, but Williams' matchup with Tatum was just one example of Charlotte losing its composure down the stretch as the Celtics closed the game on a 24-9 run.

LaMelo Ball was called for a flagrant 1 foul on Tatum for being in his landing zone seconds after Williams threw, and Miles Bridges suffered a double technical in the final minute of the game.