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Halfway through the third quarter of today's game between the Boston Celtics and Atlanta Hawks, forwards Jeff Green and Brandon Bass had a fiery argument until the two were broken up.
Green and Bass didn't play for the rest of the afternoon after their apparent disagreement with each other, so I asked head coach Brad Stevens if this was the reasoning for their benching.
He explained that Green and Bass were both left on the bench because he was riding the hot lineup that was on the floor, but he did acknowledge the issue and said, "Disagreements are part of the game -- it's part of team basketball -- but how quickly you move on from there says a lot."
Of course, anyone that has played a sport competitively -- or is a living, breathing human being -- knows that arguments are part of the game. But, it's disappointing to see that the quarrel between Green and Bass wasn't resolved more rapidly, as Green appeared to stand in his spot near the bench pouting for the remainder of the game.
Comcast SportsNet's broadcast fortunately show bits and pieces of the altercation, so I clipped those portions, which can be viewed below:
Jeff Green first showed frustration by bouncing the ball hard off the floor before being substituted out. As he walked towards the bench, Brad Stevens was ignored as he tried to speak to him. Stevens continued to follow him, and at that point it appeared that Green was complaining about something.
Sitting in my seat on the ninth floor, I thought nothing of it, but then Brandon Bass made his way to the bench less than 30 seconds later, and an argument ensued.
As the video above shows, Green and Bass traded heated words with each other until veterans Keith Bogans, Courtney Lee, and then assistant coach Jay Larranaga, made their way over to put the situation to an end.
Bass wasn't available for comment after the game, but CSNNE's Abby Chin did report that Green said it was just a misunderstanding, and that he and Bass are "just tired of losing."
After going back and watching the third quarter, I believe Green was frustrated with Bass' three careless turnovers. On multiple occasions, Bass forced the play when Green, or another teammate, were wide-open on the perimeter.
If that's the case, it's interesting that this happened just days after Brandon Bass talked about how he never agreed with the "No Pass Bass" nickname fans used to call him in Orlando.
Whether or not Brad Stevens admits it, it's obvious that Brandon Bass and Jeff Green were benched because of this exchange. Even though the frontcourt lineup of Kelly Olynyk, Kris Humphries, and Gerald Wallace was playing well; they were fatigued towards the end of the fourth quarter, when Green and Bass would normally be reinserted into the game.
It's unlikely that this is a problem going forward considering Jeff Green and Brandon Bass are two of the nicest guys on the team; but it's something to monitor, especially considering the Boston Celtics' upcoming grueling West Coast road trip, which could raise the team's frustration level.