So (Celtics coach Doc) Rivers tried to laugh after his Celtics compounded the sin with a 95-83 loss to Brooklyn that left him using the dreaded S-word — soft — to describe his team.

To hear Rivers tell it, the Celtics saved their toughest moves for after the game clock had stopped.

“I told them they were soft. Actually, I told them that (the Nets) think you’re soft,” Rivers said of Brooklyn’s ability to push and muscle its way to a 50-40 rebounding edge, including 17 offensive rebounds.

via Mark Murphy of the Boston Herald