The Celtics weren’t expected to make a deep playoff run without Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward, but once Boston began to march through the postseason, an NBA Finals appearance became a real possibility.
As a result, the C’s season-ending loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals was a heartbreaker to the team’s loyal fanbase. If it took some time for you to get over Boston falling one game short of reaching the finals, Brad Stevens is right there with you.
During a recent appearance on WFNI-1070 AM’s “Dan Dakich Show,” the Celtics coach revealed how he handled the crushing defeat before beginning his preparations for the 2018 NBA Draft and upcoming season.
“I let it breathe for a couple of days because I couldn’t sleep after that Game 7 (against Cleveland),” Stevens said, as transcribed by the IndyStar’s Scott Horner. “It was really, really tough to swallow that we weren’t playing anymore. But then I go in and go, ‘Who do you want me to watch?'”
Luckily for Stevens and his team, they can take solace in knowing there’s a very good chance they’ll be a top title contender in the 2018-19 campaign.