Brooklyn Nets' Kevin Durant irked by Bruce Brown's critique of Boston Celtics' big men

NEW YORK — Brooklyn Nets star forward Kevin Durant has been in the league long enough to know that it's not wise to give a playoff opponent any extra motivation before a series begins.

So when Durant heard Nets guard Bruce Brown's critique of the Boston Celtics, saying that the Nets can attack them down low in their upcoming Eastern Conference quarterfinals series because of the absence of Celtics big man Robert Williams, Durant was quick to rebuke his young teammate's comments.

«We respect our opponents,» Durant said after the Nets finished off a 115-108 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Tuesday night's play-in game. «We don't need to talk about what we're going to do to them. I just don't like that, but that's how Bruce is. He comes in and keeps the same energy throughout the whole season so — but we don't need to say s-- like that. Let's just go out there and hoop.»

Brown's comments came after he was asked what he felt the biggest key will be to slowing down the Celtics in the upcoming series, which starts in Boston on Sunday afternoon.

«We can't let [Jayson] Tatum get 50,» Brown said. «We got to be physical with them. Now they don't have Robert Williams, so they have less of a presence in the paint and we could attack Al Horford and [Daniel] Theis. So them not having Robert Williams is huge.»

Durant, who took the dais for the postgame news conference after Brown did, had already been tipped off to the fact that Brown had said something he wouldn't appreciate.

«What did Bruce Brown say when he got up here?» Durant asked the assembled media. «He said something I didn't like, somebody just told me.»

When told of Brown's comments, Durant tried to walk them back.

«That's caffeine pride talking,» Durant said. «He takes