Unless the Boston Celtics’ only goals heading into their game against the Brooklyn Nets were to get into a fight, have a star player get ejected and leave some nasty scratches on Kris Humphries, Wednesday night wound up being a night to forget for the guys in green. Doc Rivers was understandably unhappy after the 95-83 loss, and he certainly wasn’t impressed with his players for mixing it up with the opposition.
“I don’t think anybody should get thrown out of a game,” Rivers said when asked about Rajon Rondo’s first-half ejection, via WEEI.com. “We all have to keep our emotions. Hell, we didn’t come to play, as a team. That was awful, basketball-wise. If I’m Brooklyn and (other teams) in the league, you have to think we’re pretty soft, the way we’re playing. We’re a soft team right now. We have no toughness. That stuff is not toughness, all that stuff is not toughness.”
Jason Terry ripped Humphries after the game and called him a fake tough guy, but it sounds like Doc thinks his team should take a look in the mirror if they want to see a lack of toughness. In fact, Rivers said he believes that some of the newer Celtics players feel a sense of entitlement just because they wear a Boston uniform.
“You know, Kevin (Garnett), Paul (Pierce) and Rondo and a couple other guys – it’s almost like they understand the jersey they’re wearing and the pride,” Rivers explained. “And everyone else – and not everyone – it’s almost like they think because they put the jersey on that they are something. You’ve got to earn it here.
Fortunately for the Celtics, Wednesday night was only game 15 of a very long season. That being said, it will take more than just a Celtics championship tattoo for newcomers like Terry to prove they are what Boston needs to capture banner number 18. And Rondo? In hindsight, the swing he threw at Humphries was probably a bad idea.
Eric P. Mull-US PRESSWIRE
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