Brad Stevens said that the Boston Celtics pressed too much during their 97-92 loss to the Portland Trail Blazers. It was their fourth straight loss.

“I actually just told the guys, like, you walk out of here a little bit more encouraged because the reason we lost, if anything, was we didn’t make shots. I think it was because we were pressing. I think we were disappointed in ourselves and we looked like a team that really wanted tonight to go well. And it didn’t...I think we’re desperate for a win and to feel good about ourselves," said Stevens. 

Marcus Smart agreed with the assessment, stating “we definitely were (pressing). We wanted to win this one really bad and we’re pressing, but that’s a good thing. I’ll take that any day, us trying to make plays for each other and trying to come out with a win than not.”

Marcus Smart blamed the Boston Celtics' recent losing streak on a lack of team cohesion, echoing a theme throughout the season.

"Nobody is together. We've got to have everybody on the same page doing the same things at the same time. What are the main ingredients to those collapses? Not being together. And that's it. We're just not together. Plain and simple," said Smart following their 118-95 loss to the Raptors.

The Celtics have lost 3 games in a row. 

"I mean, that's Marcus' opinion. I respect it," said Kyrie Irving when told of Smart's comments. 

The Boston Celtics informed the New Orleans Pelicans that "everyone can be available" when they discuss an Anthony Davis trade this offseason.

There has been varying speculation whether the Celtics will make Jayson Tatum available in Davis trade talks.

The Celtics were unable to execute a trade for Davis as the trade deadline due to the presence of Kyrie Irving on their roster while also on a Derrick Rose rule max contract.

Jayson Tatum has had an uneven second season in the NBA, but his talent remains clear. Tatum also continues to believe in his potential.

“I know I’m going to be an All-Star,” Tatum said. “It wasn’t this year, so it will be next year. There are definitely certain guys that are able to achieve things at faster rates than others, and I know I can be one of them. Nobody puts higher expectations on me than myself.”

Tatum's efficiency has dropped this season as his usage has increased amidst a disappointing regular season for the Celtics.

“It’s no secret: Everybody in the world can see that our team is different this year than last year,” Tatum said. “It’s taking some time. Every time we lose a game, it’s not the end of the world. We all have to bring it, and it starts with me too.”

Brad Stevens received considerable praise as the Boston Celtics rebuilt themselves into a contender over the past few seasons, but they've failed to meet expectations in 18-19.

“I’m disappointed in myself,” said Stevens. “And I’ve gotta do a lot better.”

Stevens has received criticism for Boston's slow start with Gordon Hayward likely left in the starting lineup for too long.

“I think I just have to do a way better job of holding us to the standard with which we need to play,” Stevens said. “It’s not about who’s playing, it’s not about who’s in the game – who starts the game, who comes in the game. It’s just we have to play to a better standard for the full four quarters. And that’s on coaching.”

The NBA's Last Two Minute Report for the Milwaukee Bucks' 98-97 win over the Boston Celtics revealed 5 blown calls in the final 3.7 seconds of the game.

2 calls went against the Bucks, while the other 3 went against the Celtics.

The report determined that Kyrie Irving was fouled by both Giannis Antetokounmpo and Eric Bledsoe on the Celtics' final possession that resulted in a missed shot at the buzzer, both of which were not called. 

Kyrie Irving is being featured in a digital campaign for Beyond Meat.

Irving is an investor in the vegan food company.

The video features Irving talking about how he wrote down his goal of playing in the NBA when he was in the fourth grade. Irving only briefly mentions his diet toward the end of the 60-second clip.

Beyond Irving, other new investors include a variety of retired and current sports stars: Shaquille O'Neal, Chris Paul, DeAndre Hopkins, Victor Oladipo, Lindsey Vonn, DeAndre Jordan, Harrison Barnes, Shaun White and Luke Walton. They follow other athletes who have invested in the company including JJ Redick, Tony Gonzalez, David Wright, Eric Bledsoe, Maya Moore and Tia Blanco, as well entertainers such as Snoop Dogg, Common, Jessica Chastain, Liza Koshy and Leonardo DiCaprio. 

Anthony Davis does not consider the Boston Celtics as a long-term destination, according to Shams Charania.

Davis said over the All-Star break that all 29 teams outside of the Pelicans are on his list of preferred trade destinations. 

Davis' father made headlines at the beginning of the month by stating that he doesn't want his son to play for the Celtics after how they treated Isaiah Thomas. 

LeBron James stated his appreciation for Kyrie Irving's growth and maturity during an All-Star weekend media event.

"I think I've always loved Kyrie, from before I met him, until when I became his teammate, to even now. So the phone call, more than for me, I think just to see his growth...it takes a real man and a real person -- and a real person to understand who they are -- to be able to call or to do anything and be able to see their wrongdoings or believe they have some wrongdoings and then be able to come to grips with that and then be able to either apologize or say that, 'At that point and time, I thought I was ready for something, but I really wasn't,'" said James. 

James, who gave Irving advice on how to lead a young Celtics team, also praised how Irving handled the media speculation around the trade deadline earlier this month.

The Boston Celtics aggressively pursued a trade for Justise Winslow during the 2015 NBA Draft.

The Celtics offered as many as four first round picks to move up to the Charlotte Hornets' selection at nine to draft Winslow. The Celtics were offering the 15th and 16th picks in that year's draft along with one first rounder from the Brooklyn Nets and another future first from either the Minnesota Timberwolves or Memphis Grizzlies.

With Winslow having a strong career but short of an All-Star talent and the Celtics eventually selecting Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum with picks from the Nets, it seems like Danny Ainge avoided a potential mistake in having his offer rejected.

“I don’t know,” said Ainge when asked if it feels like he barely avoided a car crash. “I understand what you’re saying, but I don’t feel like that at all. I don’t feel the same. I don’t feel like we avoided an accident, because there’s a whole bunch of ways to get players — through trades, through developing, through free agency — and you can’t just look back at history and say, ‘Oh, if we’d have made this trade, therefore this would have happened.’

“Like, that’s not how the world works. If we’d have made this trade, there’s a whole bunch of other trades that maybe could have happened as a result of making that trade that we would have pulled the trigger on or another team would have pulled the trigger on. So I don’t think you can view the world in hindsight like that, because none of us know the other pieces. There’s so many pieces that fall as the result of one trade that leads to another trade that leads to another trade that leads to your team. So I don’t know the cycle and the chain of events that would have happened had the trade happened on that draft night.”

Ainge insists he doesn't often throw his thoughts into reverse.

“Not really,” Ainge said. “I mean, I look back and evaluate what we did in the draft and how we evaluated all the players in that draft. I did that in 2016. I always evaluate the players from what we know and what could have happened, what could not have happened. But I don’t think about it anymore.”

Ainge is glad the Celtics remained patient.

“I just know that I’m glad that we were all able to be patient, and we’ve been very fortunate that our last group of picks have all turned out well,” Ainge said. “Listen, we have a lot of good players. We’ve been very fortunate in free agency and with trades and in the draft. We’ve had really good fortune over the last four years. That doesn’t always happen. It hasn’t always happened with us. We’ve made bad trades, we’ve made bad drafts and we’ve made bad free agent signings. We obviously had some bad luck last year with health, but with the good luck of the quality of players that we’ve been able to acquire for this team, I do feel very fortunate.

“But I also know how fleeting it can be, and we got a glimpse of that last year. So we’ll just appreciate this team while we have them and look forward to the future with this group of guys.”