WALTHAM, Mass. — Thursday’s practice session was all about quick recovery for the Boston Celtics — identifying the mistakes made during Wednesday’s embarrassing loss to the Miami Heat and remedying them before Friday’s matchup with the New York Knicks.
Forward Jae Crowder, who scored a team-high 16 points off the bench in the 93-86 loss, stressed the importance of film study after the Celtics had their doors blown off for three full quarters by an injury-depleted Heat squad.
“I mean, that one hurt,” Crowder said before practice Thursday. “I didn’t say nothing to anybody (after the game). I was just — I didn’t understand. I didn’t understand how we didn’t show up to play as a unit. I’m ready to get this get this day (of practice) going to try to get better and look at film, and talk about it.”
At this point in the season, though, the Celtics know what they must do to win. Now, after losing two of their last three games to teams they likely should have beaten, it’s about proving they can do it on a nightly basis.
“We know exactly what got us to this point with this team,” Crowder said. “Good team basketball, moving the ball, playing off one another and knowing who has it going that night. If you don’t have it going that night, we have enough offensive weapons to look to someone else. I don’t think finger-pointing is going to get the job done at this point.”
Crowder has been a champion for accountability in the Celtics’ young locker room, calling for his teammates to speak up and to not fear criticism.
“Accountability is fine,” head coach Brad Stevens said, “but I’m more interested — we’re all more interested — in showing your conviction in your action. I think that’s the challenge. Everybody’s going to have one or two (games) that you really are sick about. (The Miami loss) is hopefully the one for us.
“But we’ve got 11 games left, and we’ve got a tough schedule ahead. We’re going to have to play really well. And we should know that, and we should expect that. We should be having more good nights than bad as far as our effort, our focus and our attention to detail.”
— Crowder has been very active on social media this season, often sharing his postgame emotions on Twitter and Instagram. On Wednesday, his message was an apology to Celtics fans after what he called a “sickening” performance.
[tweet https://twitter.com/CJC9BOSS/status/580923522459021312 align=’center’]
Crowder said he uses the messages as a way to develop a deeper connection with the Boston fanbase.
“The fans have been amazing since I got here,” he said. “They’ve embraced me, and I just try to do that just to give them an insight of what we go through and what I go through as a basketball player. I just want to thank them. Every chance I get, I try to thank them. It’s a great atmosphere to play in at the Garden, and (Wednesday) night, I feel like we didn’t show up for them.”
Thumbnail photo via Winslow Townson/USA TODAY Sports Images
