Need to convince your boss to let you take a vacation? Just read them Marcus Morris’ comments from Monday night.
Morris was all smiles at TD Garden after his Boston Celtics defeated the Memphis Grizzlies 109-98. The victory improved the Celtics to a perfect 3-0 since the NBA All-Star break, and if you ask Morris, their success following that eight-day hiatus is no coincidence.
“We needed the break,” Morris told reporters after the game, via MassLive.com. “That’s what it sounded like. We’re playing well. (Marcus Smart) came back, (Daniel) Theis is playing well, (Greg Monroe is) playing well. We’re jelling at the right time. Defense has gotten a lot better. The break really helped us.”
Boston stumbled into the All-Star break, losing four of its five games before the mini-vacation while looking surprisingly laconic. Smart’s return from injury and some brilliant play from Kyrie Irving have helped the C’s get back on track, as has some favorable scheduling — their last three wins came against teams with losing records.
But more than anything, it sounds like the C’s just needed to get away for a bit.
“It’s not even about basketball always,” Morris added. “It’s the mental aspect of the game. You get the chance to see your family, get the chance to just not think about basketball all the time. People don’t see that side of it. Sometimes, it gets to you. Game after game. Traveling and staying in different hotels. It gets to you.
“I think, especially for the younger dudes who haven’t been in this situation, I think the break really benefited them. Just time to take a deep breath and look forward to the playoffs.”
Of course, every team gets the same break, and a much tougher test looms Saturday night in Houston against the Rockets. The young Celtics looked especially worn down by their grueling first-half schedule, though, so last week’s break afforded a perfect opportunity to hit the reset button.
