The Boston Celtics finally appear back on the right path, but the road certainly has been bumpy at times this season.
Boston has won 10 of its last 13 games, a stretch that apparently was in part sparked by a confrontation between point guard Kyrie Irving and head coach Brad Stevens. According to The Athletic, the two had words during the team’s loss to the Dallas Mavericks on Nov. 24.
From The Athletic’s Shams Charania:
“Irving had a heated moment on the bench in which he directed words toward coach Brad Stevens and others, league sources told The Athletic. It was after the coaching staff’s feedback over a turnover on a previous play, according to sources, when Irving finally responded, had an emotional exchange and let out some bottled up frustration.”
The dispute, especially in hindsight, seems healthy in nature, with Charania adding “the incident did not get personal, according to witnesses.”
It’s hard to argue with anything that followed, too. The Celtics went on to win eight straight games before a brief three-game skid. Boston since has won its last two games, including a Christmas Day overtime triumph over the Philadelphia 76ers, and now heads out on a daunting three-game road trip with stops in Houston, Memphis and San Antonio.
At least it seems like the club is in a better place now than it was a month ago, thanks in part to two of the team’s most important figures butting heads and figuring out some things in the process.
