For the second time of his basketball career, Joe Mazulla faces the prospect of elimination at the hands of Jimmy Butler.
If the Heat upend the Celtics in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference on Monday, it will be the second time Butler has eliminated Mazzulla. The first occurred during the 2011 Big East Tournament, when both were still playing for their respective college programs: Butler at Marquette, and Mazzulla at West Virginia.
That game marked the final time they met as Big East opponents, though they nearly played again in the 2011 NCAA Tournament: Both teams were placed in the East Region, though Mazzulla’s Mountaineers lost in the second round to Kentucky while Butler’s Golden Eagles lost in the Sweet 16 to North Carolina.
Regardless, the Eastern Conference Finals could mark the second time Butler sends Mazzulla — now head coach of the Celtics — home. Here’s everything you need to know about their meeting in the 2011 Big East Tournament game.
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Jimmy Butler’s Marquette vs. Joe Mazzulla’s West Virginia
Butler and Mazzulla met for the third time of their collegiate careers in the second round of the 2011 Big East Tournament: West Virginia, ranked 20th nationally at the time, had a first-round bye after finishing the regular season seeded sixth in conference. Marquette, the 11 seed, first needed to beat 14-seed Providence to set up the second-round meeting.
It was ultimately Butler and Marquette who prevailed at Madison Square Garden, as the Golden Eagles overcame a 36-28 halftime deficit to beat the Mountaineers 67-61. Butler scored nine, two rebounds, two assists and a steal in the victory. Mazzulla had eight points on top of three rebounds, five assists and a steal.
For those who are curious, here is the full hour-and-a-half of gameplay from the Big East Tournament meeting:
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As mentioned, Butler and Mazzulla’s meeting in the conference tournament was the third time they played against each other. Their teams split the first two meetings, with Mazzulla’s Mountaineers winning 63-62 on Dec. 29, 2009. Butler and Marquette returned the favor the following season, winning 79-74 on New Year’s Day 2011.
Here’s a side-by-side breakdown of how Butler and Mazzulla played in their three meetings:
| Jimmy Butler | Joe Mazzulla* | |
| Points | 28 | 14 |
| FG% | 50 percent | 42.8 percent |
| Rebounds | 13 | 8 |
| Assists | 10 | 11 |
| Blocks | 2 | 0 |
| Steals | 6 | 4 |
* Mazzulla played off the bench in his first two meetings vs. Butler
Jimmy Butler draft: Revisiting 2011 NBA Draft
Following their collegiate careers, Butler entered the 2011 NBA Draft, where he was taken 30th overall by the Chicago Bulls. He has since gone on to become a six-time NBA All-Star with the Bulls, Timberwolves and, now, Heat.
MORE: 2011 NBA Redraft: Jimmy Butler, Kawhi Leonard battle for 1st pick
Mazzulla, meanwhile, went straight into coaching: He served as an assistant for several years at Glenville State, Fairmont State and Maine before returning to serve as FSU’s head coach from 2017-19. Following that, he joined the Celtics as an assistant in 2019, then was elevated to head coach for the 2022-23 season.
Though their paths may have differed, Mazzulla and Butler are once again pitted against each other. The stage is bigger this time around, but Butler will look to make sure the end result is the same.
