The Boston Celtics provided the L.A. Clippers with their largest comeback victory in franchise history on Saturday night. After surrendering a 28-point lead at home to a team that just traded away its best player, though, one Celtics veteran insisted it wasn't the loss that concerned him most. Marcus Morris, as he explained to ESPN's Chris Forsberg in the locker room post-game, is far more worried about Boston's on-court mindset.
“For me it’s not really about the loss,” he said. “It’s about the attitudes that we’re playing with. Guys are hanging their heads. It’s just not fun. It’s not fun. We’re not competing at a high level. Even though we’re winning, it’s not fun. I don’t see the joy in the game.”
This isn't the first time a Celtics player has criticized his team's attitude. Kyrie Irving has mentioned the need for Boston's younger players to play with a greater sense of purpose and urgency on multiple occasions this season, and Morris lamented the Celtics' lack of “togetherness” after a loss to the Toronto Raptors in late October.
It's worth noting that extenuating circumstances contributed to Boston's collapse. Irving left the game in the second quarter after tweaking his knee while fighting through a screen set by Ivica Zubac; the team announced he would be unable to return shortly thereafter. Though Irving's initial diagnosis is a sprained right knee, he's set to undergo further testing on Sunday.
Even a clean bill of health for Irving, though, wouldn't fix what Morris says currently ails the Celtics.
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