KG spreads gospel again

Garnett audio clip pumps up C’s

CHICAGO — Like all of the best Kevin Garnett moments, this one included loud exhortations and unprintable language, but infinitely inspiring for his intended audience — a Celtics team in need of some fire and brimstone.

Garnett sent an audio clip to Celtics trainer Ed Lacerte on Thursday, and Isaiah Thomas and Avery Bradley, after listening, decided to play it over a speaker system for the team prior to last night’s 104-87 Game 3 win over the Bulls that cut the Celts series deficit to 2-1.

Game 4 is tomorrow night at the United Center.

Bradley, the only Celtic to play with KG, immediately felt the room change.

“Everybody was kinda pumped up,” he said. “I almost felt like he was in the locker room with me again. It was a good feeling. “

And so the gospel spread, KG style.

“To me, personally, it was everything, you know,” said Jae Crowder. “It was just a little motivational speech. He said we looked like a team that wasn’t having fun. We looked like a team that wasn’t soaking the moment. We’ve just got to play for one another and play for the moment at hand, which is the playoffs, and have fun with it. Basically that’s all he was saying, with a little more KG into it.”

As Garnett railed on, Bradley thought back to the old days, reminding the Celtics guard that all of those old teammates, like Garnett and Paul Pierce, are still watching.

“It’s funny because he was our leader when he was here. He’s still part of this Celtics family,” he said. “For him to go out of his way to send us a message like that, that means a lot to all of us. Like I said, it was a reminder of Celtics family. We have to play a certain way because they are watching. There’s a respect, the way that we play, and we have to play hard.

“Every single time we step on the floor, we have to leave everything out there. That has to be our mindset.”

Green gets start

Celts coach Brad Stevens summoned his inner gambler by deciding to start Gerald Green in place of the struggling Amir Johnson.

Stevens thus replaced a rebounder, who hasn’t produced in the series, with a wing scorer, despite the fact the Celtics have been hurt so badly on the glass all season and these playoffs.

But Green, who last started a game for the Miami Heat last season, promised he would “stay in character” in his role. He also has a history of playing with Thomas, dating back to their shared time with the Phoenix Suns.

And he contributed immediately, scoring five of his eight points in the first five minutes, and helping spark the Celts’ opening 14-4 run.

“You have to account for Gerald because he’s such a good shooter,” Stevens said for starting Green.

“But he’s also a guy that got our first basket driving to the basket. So you’ve got to guard him out there, and we need as much space as we can get. Because we can’t be jammed up with their length.”

Thomas returns

Thomas re-joined his teammates yesterday in what Stevens described as an improved frame of mind, after spending two days with his family grieving the death of his younger sister, Chyna.

“I just talked to him the last couple of days and saw him today. He expressed that he was thankful to have gone and it was a good thing to have gone,” said Stevens. “I think he’s feeling better. It’s been a really hard week. He’s going to have his ups and downs. I think going to Seattle was a good thing, but it was hard. Seeing his dad and being around his family and that support network was important. So, again, I say he’s feeling better, obviously there’s an asterisk next to that. There’s going to be always ups and downs, it’s still inside a week.

“But I’m glad that he went. He’s glad that he went.”

Brady magic

Tom Brady, who led the Patriots to the greatest comeback in Super Bowl history in February, hoped to spread that magic to his basketball brothers. The Patriots quarterback reached out to the Celtics via Instagram yesterday, posting, along with a photo of Thomas and Bradley embracing at midcourt, the following message:

“It’s how you come back... Good luck tonight. We all have your back! #YourTurn”

Brady met Thomas, Crowder and Kelly Olynyk last summer, and joined them and Celtics management at the now famous Hamptons summit courting then free agent Kevin Durant.