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Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris get into altercation during timeout

ByMichael James|
BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Jaylen Brown #7 and Marcus Morris #13 of the Boston Celtics high five in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 23, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA - MAY 23: Jaylen Brown #7 and Marcus Morris #13 of the Boston Celtics high five in Game Five of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Cleveland Cavaliers during the 2018 NBA Playoffs on May 23, 2018 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images)

Jaylen Brown and Marcus Morris had to be separated during a timeout in the Boston Celtics’ loss to Miami on Thursday night.

It was a rough night in Miami for the Boston Celtics, snapping their four game winning streak with a disappointing 115-99 loss to the Heat.

Frustrating as it was to see an inconsistent effort on the floor for the fans, it seems those feelings boiled over on the bench during a timeout.

During the second quarter, Marcus Morris seemed upset at Jaylen Brown for not getting back on defense, which then carried over to the next stoppage of play. This was during a quarter in which the Heat outscored the Celtics 33-19, leading to an 18-point halftime deficit.

You can see Morris barking something at Brown, Brown responding and then Morris shoving Brown before Marcus Smart stepped in to end the conflict. Nobody in the huddle seemed too worried about the two exchanging words, but that probably won’t keep the hot takes from flying.

The Celtics have been on record praising the team’s open communication led by Kyrie Irving. This seems to be one of those instances that didn’t end in agreement.

The good news for worried Celtics fans is this kind of argument isn’t a new development. Brown has lacked focus on the defensive end from time to time this season which led to Morris or another teammate yelling at him to lock in. Also, the team responded with a late third quarter run that cut the halftime deficit to 11. Miami unfortunately did not cool off from three, so the comeback didn’t come to fruition.

The bad news is the shove. Morris will probably face discipline from the team, but I would be surprised if anything else bad stems from this. You need accountability in the NBA to win a championship, especially with young players.

Brown has had a difficult time adjusting to a new role in the Celtics offense while also dealing with a right hand injury. He’s much improved over the last month, but Morris, who’s having a career year as one of the veterans on the team, needs to make sure he’s focusing on the little things.

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