NBA EASTERN CONFERENCE FINALS: CELTICS VS. HEAT

September 19, 2020

Brad Stevens

Boston Celtics

Game 3: Pregame

Q. How much of the breakdown in Game 2 was them? How much of it was you guys?

BRAD STEVENS: Well they deserve a lot of credit. They're a really good team. They have got great schemes. They do great things. And there's two teams out there. We weren't very good on either end of the floor in the second half. We need to be better in what we're trying to do and play better if we want to have a chance to win.

Q. What have you learned about your team over the last 48 hours?

BRAD STEVENS: I haven't really learned a lot. I think these are just -- I mean, obviously when you're in the middle of this everything's going to be probably much more discussed, but teams have times where they, where emotions come up. That's just part of it. So I wouldn't say -- it's like every team I've ever been on in the last 20 years of coaching has had a moment or two.

Q. Down 0-2, it's kind of a pull-out-all-the-stops game, but how do you stay within what you're trying to do and not do too much?

BRAD STEVENS: It's interesting. I think there's things we definitely have to do differently and things we have to do a lot better. At the same time we have been pretty good for five out of eight quarters. So it's one of those situations, like, you don't want to totally overreact, because when we're at our best we have been good. But you have to play 48 minutes against these guys. That's been proven over and over not just with our series, but with all the other series. And you really have to earn it if you're going to beat them.

Q. Just with Gordon, obviously this is a difficult time in the sense that you don't have a lot of practice time right now, so bringing him back into the mix, if he plays tonight, what are the things that you guys need to see in this warmup to have confidence if he's ready or not?

BRAD STEVENS: It's just him. He just tells us how he feels. But he's been, he's played three-on-three the last couple of days and I would anticipate he'll be available, but it's going to be his call and that's really based on how he feels.

Q. In light of what did happen after the last game, how have your players responded the last couple of days?

BRAD STEVENS: Good. Yeah, I think like anybody else. I mean, listen, when you want something really bad and you come up short, especially when it's going well for you, there's going to be some scarring and for us, there was some scarring the other night that showed itself and that's part of a team, and then the team reconnects, re-centers and gets back to go to work. That's what you do.

Q. Assuming Gordon can go, what are the biggest things he'll be able to help you guys with?

BRAD STEVENS: Everything that you've seen all year. Like, he's a great passer. He can score the ball. He can switch all the different positions. He gives us a lot of defensive flexibility there. He just gives us a lot. And I think that he's always been a guy that provides a great sense of stability. So I think, obviously, he's coming back from a four-week break or four-and-a-half-week break, so we don't expect him to be a world beater, but I think his presence helps us.

Q. Another Gordon follow-up: If he is able to go, will he be on a minutes restriction? Will you insert him back into the starting lineup? What is your plan there?

BRAD STEVENS: So we'll do, he'll come off the bench and he'll be on a minutes monitoring.