The Boston Celtics held a late-night meeting to address some simmering tensions erupting into a loud confrontation following the team’s loss to the Miami Heat in Game 2 of their Eastern Finals series, reports ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
Head coach Brad Stevens reportedly held a late-night meeting with Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown — the primary antagonists in the spat — along with star teammates Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum to smooth over any lingering discontent.
The heated (pun intended) argument caught many by surprised from an otherwise- even-keeled Celtics team, and while raucous, did not devolve into anything physical, The Athletic’s Shams Charania reporting teammates stepping in to de-escalate the situation.
ESPN Sources: Brad Stevens had a late night Thursday meeting with Celtics leaders – Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart – to work through emotions of post-Game 2 locker room. A lot of yelling in locker room, but nothing escalated to a physical confrontation.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) September 18, 2020
Whether the eruption of emotion can be transmuted into fuel for a comeback push — or settles in to poison what’s left of Boston’s postseason aspirations — now lies firmly in the hands of the players themselves.
To date, that’s been a secure point of origin for a lot of good things this season, but the challenge in front of them has never been greater.
