The Celtics lost a heartbreaker to the Sixers 102-100 on Tuesday night with one of their usual starters watching the entire second half from the bench. Josh Minott was a surprising DNP-CD after intermission after he was replaced in the starting five by Jordan Walsh at the start of the third quarter.
Minott played eight minutes in the first half, making his only shot (a 3-point attempt) but piled up three fouls in 10 minutes. The Celtics were outscored by 10 points when he was on the floor.
Joe Mazzulla declined to address the benching after the loss, simply telling reporters in Philadelphia when asked about there had been any conversation about the situation, “That’s between me and Josh.”
Minott has started nine straight games for the Celtics after Boston opened the season with an 0-3 record. The offseason addition has been a bright spot in an expanded role, averaging eight points and 5.8 rebounds per game in 11 appearances.
However, Minott has seen his role diminish in the last two games thanks to the emergence of Walsh, who saw crunch time minutes in both contests against the Magic and Sixers. Hugo Gonzalez also played regular minutes off the bench over Minott in the second half before suffering a sprained ankle in the third quarter.
Minott’s next chance to bounce back will come quickly as the Celtics host the Grizzlies on Wednesday night at TD Garden. Boston is 5-4 this season with Minott in the starting lineup but his spot in the starting five will be worth watching in the wake of Tuesday’s loss.
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