Stevens hits reset after postgame fracas

Last night almost turned into fight night at the Garden, and it wasn’t just because Floyd Mayweather Jr. was sitting courtside.

Following the Celtics’ 117-108 win over the Wizards, five Boston police officers had to be stationed between the two locker rooms after an altercation on the court spilled into the tunnel.

Forty-eight minutes of chippiness wasn’t enough for the two sides. Their bad blood boiled over after the final whistle, and the Celtics’ Jae Crowder and Wizards’ John Wall were nose-to-nose, jawing in the middle of the court.

Crowder stuck a finger in Wall’s face, and Wall responded with a light slap to Crowder’s. Teammates on both sides got involved, including Marcus Smart and Washington’s Bradley Beal who had gotten into it in the third quarter. A skirmish with pushing and shoving ensued, and men in suits worked to pull the two sides apart.

“I heard what was going on in the tunnel,” Celts coach Brad Stevens said. “All I did was walk out there. There were only two guys that were walking in from the court from our team, and I just said, ‘Get in the locker room.’ Then I talked to the team about what we represent and that’s it.”

Al Horford didn’t want to get into specifics, but shared the gist of Stevens’ message.

“I don’t think I’m supposed to discuss anything, but it was just (to) keep our heads and we’re playing for bigger things,” Horford said.

Wizards forward Otto Porter pointed the finger at the Celtics.

“They’re a physical team. They try to play dirty,” Porter said. “They try to take you out of your game.” Anyone in particular? “Their whole team,” Porter said. “That’s just how they try to play.

Isaiah Thomas wasn’t involved in the dust-up, and adamantly brushed Porter’s notion aside.

“That’s not what the Celtics are about,” Thomas said. “We play hard. So if playing hard is dirty then I guess we are a dirty team. But there was no dirty play. I didn’t see none. It’s just a lot of chatter. That’s what guys do.”

Surprise call for Mickey

Jordan Mickey woke up to a text message that he wasn’t expecting yesterday.

The missive was from Stevens, with instructions simply to call when he got out of bed. Mickey was puzzled, but called his coach.

Stevens wanted Mickey to hear his voice when he let him know that he’d be making his first career start. The C’s were missing five players last night, and after playing 125 minutes in 25 NBA games, Mickey was being thrown into starting lineup.

“It’s big. It’s what everyone wants to do, wants to play for,” Mickey said.

It’s been a whirlwind January for the second-year forward, as was playing for the Maine Red Claws in the D-League just last week. Last night he finished with four points and a highlight reel block on Markieff Morris.

C’s play five men short

The Celtics were far from full strength Avery Bradley (Achilles), Jaylen Brown (ankle), James Young (ankle), Tyler Zeller (sinus infection) and Amir Johnson (ankle) were all held out.

It was the third straight game Bradley’s missed, but a return Friday night in Atlanta isn’t out of the question.

A Horford homecoming

That game against the Hawks will also mark Horford’s first trip to Atlanta since leaving to sign with the C’s. He spent his first nine seasons in Atlanta, and while he downplayed the significance of returning, Thomas said the Celtics will be bringing their A-game for him.

“He’s the calm one in this room but at the same time you know those games are big,” Thomas said. “You want to play well, you want to beat your former team. But that’s our job. We’ve got to take care of business for him and make sure he plays well and most importantly, get the win.”