Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown reportedly had a heated discussion in the locker room following the team’s Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat.
The two players needed to be separated by teammates after Smart addressed the team about being accountable for their actions, aside from just himself, according to Shams Charania.
Brown then told Smart to settle down and cool off and that the Celtics “must stay together and that their actions must come as a team, not individually”.
Smart and others were heard yelling in the locker room and objects were also reportedly thrown.
Smart even had verbal exchanges with a couple of assistant coaches during the game, sources told Charania.
Brown and Smart have since cleared things up, with Brown downplaying the incident.
“A lot of emotions flying around,” Brown said. “I think that’s why we love Marcus. You know, he plays with passion, he’s full of fire, and that’s what I love about him most, to be honest. He has that desire and will, and we need him to continue to have that. It’s ups and downs with families all the time, but we embrace each other for who we are. And who Marcus is, I love him for it. So you’ve got to get ready to come back, take that same fire, (and) add it to Game 3.”
Head coach Brad Stevens had a late night meeting with Celtics leaders Kemba Walker, Jayson Tatum, Brown and Smart to work through the emotions of the postgame incident, according to Adrian Wojnarowski.
It will be interesting to see if the incident lights a fire in the Celtics and how they respond in Game 3 on Sept. 19.
