Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla was fined $35,000 for comments made to the referee

NEW YORK – Joe Mazzulla’s Christmas greetings were expensive.

The NBA on Saturday fined the Boston Celtics coach $35,000 “for aggressively pursuing and making inappropriate comments toward a game official” following his team’s loss to the Chicago Bulls on Thursday night.

Mazzulla’s outburst followed Boston being whistled for three technical fouls in the fourth quarter of a 117-108 loss – one each for himself, Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. As time expired, Mazzulla appeared to have some angry words for referee Justin Van Duyne.

Mazzulla later said he was just trying to bring Christmas cheer to the refereeing team.

“I just hadn’t seen her in a while, so Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, I wasn’t sure if I was going to see her before the holidays,” Mazzulla said in his postgame press conference. “I just can’t let a moment go by when you wish the best for someone and their families.”

The video of the exchange does not appear to indicate that he delivered good news.

Crew chief Tony Brothers said after the game that Brown got his due for questioning an official’s integrity. Tatum received his sentence for “open conduct toward an officer,” Brothers said.

Brown said Van Duyne called him for a technical investigation for no reason and that Mazzulla “didn’t say anything” that would merit a technical investigation.

“You can’t threaten guys with a technical foul,” Brown said.