Bunker mentality benefits team
CHICAGO — It’s easy to forget looking up from the bottom of this hole the Celtics have dug themselves, but they actually were a good road team this season.
Their 23-18 road record was tied with Toronto for best in the Eastern Conference, and fourth best in the league. So maybe there’s something to this, with the Celtics searching for any kind of advantage to avoid their third straight firstround playoff exit.
“We’re all we got, that’s it, we’re all we got,” Marcus
Smart said before yesterday’s practice at the United Center, making use of the team’s bunker mentality.
So heading into Game 3 tonight against the Bulls, the Celtics hope to line up behind Smart’s view of basketball on the road.
Isaiah Thomas rejoins the Celtics today after two days with his family in Tacoma, Wash., for the funeral of his younger sister, Chyna. Once Thomas is back with the team, the inner circle will be complete. It’s them and no one else. “Back against the wall right now. I feel like, with this group, we’re able to overcome it,” Jae Crowder said. “I’m very encouraged of us getting away and just being together with just us as a group, away from all the other distractions.”
Brad Stevens has talked of the possibility of changes. Last night, he said that includes throwing someone new into the starting lineup. Amir Johnson, for example, has had a horrible series, and played only six minutes in Game 2.
The Celts coach acknowledged that Jonas
Jerebko, who started Game 3 of last year’s Atlanta series, could emerge in a larger role tonight.
But above all, according to Avery Bradley, the Celtics have to calm down.
“You’re gonna hear from everybody and they’re gonna be saying, ‘We want to do this. We want to do that,’ ” he said. “But we need to sit back and relax and just focus on executing a game plan, whatever Brad prepares for us, and I feel like everything will be fine. We can’t panic. We’ve been here before.”
Smart fined
Smart, fined $25,000 by the NBA for flipping off a fan in the Garden Tuesday night, quietly accepted his punishment. He also said he doesn’t remember what the fan said to set him off.
“Something was said, and I acted a little different than I should have,” he said. “To be honest, after it happened, I kind of lost that train of thought of what was said. I don’t remember it. (But) it was definitely a fan.”
Cumulative influence
Like Crowder, Smart believes the team has allowed the tragedy and everyone’s feelings for Isaiah, to affect their individual performances.
“There’s been a lot going on since before the playoffs started with the whole Isaiah situation,” Smart said. “That’s a lot of burden on his shoulders, and it affects us too. That’s our brother, and when he goes through it, we all go through it. You can see it in Isaiah. He’s never missed six free throws in a game in his career. We just have to get together. It’s good for him to have this break and go to see his family. We just have to come together as a group.”
And how do the Celtics complete those steps?
“What we’re doing now. We’re here, getting together,” Smart said. “Have to have a short memory. Let the last game go. It’s over with, go out there and redeem ourselves.”