Stevens Hopes Blowout Loss To Cavs Sticks With Celtics
BOSTON (CBS) -- If the Boston Celtics were feeling a little too good about themselves over the last week, Tuesday night in Cleveland should be a bit of a wake-up call.
At least, that's what head coach Brad Stevens is hoping for.
After winning seven of their last 11 games entering Tuesday night, the Celtics were blown out by LeBron James and the Cavaliers 110-79. They trailed by as much as 44 points in the fourth quarter, the product of a night's worth of "hero ball" up and down the C's roster.
Stevens is hoping the sting of Tuesday night's drubbing lingers a little bit.
"It's important for it to hurt; it better hurt," Stevens told reporters following Tuesday's loss. "We'll find out a lot more about ourselves in 24 hours."
Stevens has called out his team a couple of times this season following poor showings on the court, and he didn't hold back following Tuesday's loss.
"I told them it wasn't good enough," he said. "It's not OK to walk out of here thinking that that's the best team and you have nights like this. We played individual basketball on both ends of the floor the whole night. And individual basketball against these guys doesn't work because their individuals are the best in the game. So you better figure it out that we have to play collectively on both ends."
While Stevens hopes the loss stings, the team can put it behind them quickly. The Celtics are back in action Wednesday night, hosting the Utah Jazz at the TD Garden, as they continue their quest for the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.
After Tuesday night, expect a much better effort out of Stevens' Celtics against the Jazz.
On Wednesday morning, 98.5 The Sports Hub's Zolak & Bertrand talked about the reality check Brad Stevens gave his Celtics team after their blowout loss.
Listen below: