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Celtics coach Brad Stevens meets with team leaders after locker room incident

Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens (pictured) met with Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to talk through the issues that led to a locker room incident after the team's Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI
Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens (pictured) met with Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart to talk through the issues that led to a locker room incident after the team's Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat. File Photo by John Angelillo/UPI | License Photo

Sept. 18 (UPI) -- Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens on Thursday held a late-night meeting with team leaders to clear the air after a Game 2 loss to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference finals.

League sources told ESPN and The Athletic on Friday that Celtics guards Marcus Smart and Jaylen Brown needed to be separated by teammates after a heated confrontation inside the locker room following the Game 2 loss. According to ESPN, Stevens met with Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker, Brown and Smart to talk through the issues that led to the incident.

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During the locker room spat and the late meeting between Stevens and the players, Smart's focus had been on increasing the urgency among the team, according to the outlets. Boston has blown double-digit leads in both games of the East finals and trail the Heat 2-0 in the best-of-seven series.

Another part of the discussion in the late-night meeting was about making sure the team smoothly integrated All-Star forward Gordon Hayward back into the lineup, according to ESPN. The Celtics upgraded Hayward -- who has been dealing with an ankle injury -- to questionable Friday and are hopeful he can play a role off the bench in Saturday's Game 3.

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After the meeting, the coaching staff and players believed the issues were resolved and preparations could begin for the next game, according to ESPN.

Game 3 of the series is set for 8:30 p.m. EST inside the NBA bubble near Orlando, Fla.

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