Every morning, we compile the links of the day and dump them here… highlighting the big story line. Because there’s nothing quite as satisfying as a good morning dump.

“Like every other play, I was trying to get through a screen,” Smart told reporters. “[Aron Baynes] screened me, [Bonner] tried to clean up the screen and I tried to fight through. He had his arms up high — locked arms — and my body, the way [Baynes] hit me threw my body back, so it forced all my momentum to come forward, and [Bonner] just happened to jump in the way as I was trying to rip through and rip up, and he got caught.

“Like I told him, I wasn’t trying to intentionally do it, because if I was, obviously he wouldn’t have come at me the way he did. It was just something that was just a freak accident — inadvertent arm that happened to connect.”

ESPN Boston: Marcus Smart: “Freak Accident”

Look, Marcus… Maybe you’re embarrassed about what you did… maybe you’re trying to minimize your suspension… but let’s really not try to make a bad situation by feeding us a lame pile of bullshit.

Because now instead of a middle-of-a-notes-column “reticent Smart apologizes for lapse in judgement”-type story, you’ve extended the story cycle with another round of headlines. It forces us to take another look and say “well, let’s see if there’s anything to this accident thing… nope, that’s just a punch to the nuts.”

Because no, he was not trying to fight through a screen. If he had been, (a) he would have turned his shoulder so that the contact would have let him slide past the screener and (b) he would have kept moving after making contact. Smart did nothing to avoid Matt Bonner.

Yes, Aaron Baynes did catch his arm and send it upwards. That’s true. But the Bonner part… nah… that’s bullshit.

Marcus Smart has tremendous body control. He could have avoided Bonner. At the very least he could have stopped his arm from coming forward. He didn’t. He intentionally swung it. It’s obvious.

I was perfectly happy to wake up this morning, read Smart say “you know what, I lost my cool, I made a horrible choice, and I’m going to have to live with the consequences” and write about how he’s showing signs of maturity. Hell, even if he’d said “I’m not going talk about it”… that wouldn’t have been great, but it would have been far better than this.

What he said just makes it worse because it’s obviously not true, and it prolongs how long people like me write and talk about it.

If Smart wants to avoid these past demons and criticisms popping up again, he’s got to accept responsibility for his actions and take his medicine. End of story.

Related links:  MassLive: Smart: low blow a “freak accident” (video)  | Herald: Smart trouble for low blow  |  CSNNE: Smart lands a too-literal blow  |  Boston.com: Smart ejected for low blow

Page 2: Stevens and Popovich <3 each other

At the NBA Coaches Association meetings last September, Celtics coach Brad Stevens asked Gregg Popovich for about 15 minutes of his time. The next thing Stevens knew, he was soaking up a one-hour tutorial from the Spurs’ coach.

“I just let him talk the whole time,” Stevens said. “He’s the best, and it’s pretty clear we can all learn a lot from him.

[…] “Everyone in basketball knew a long time ago, before he was in the NBA, that he was a heck of a coach,” Popovich said. “So once he came in, I guess we just gravitated to each other in that respect, being two Indiana guys. We just talked in general about the league and what he was going to be up against, and how different the sport is and all of that. And obviously he’s caught on very, very quickly.”

Globe: Stevens, Popovich, share mutual respect

“I respected how he does things and what he accomplished way before he even came in the league,” said Popovich, who was born in East Chicago, Indiana. “Whenever there was a Butler game, I always tried to watch.

“Being an Indiana guy, too, you follow all those teams.”

[…] “It’s obviously flattering,” Stevens said. “He’s a nice guy, he says nice things about people. It’s nice of him to say that.”

Herald: Popovich “steals” strategy from Stevens

I think Gregg Popovich is the best coach in the NBA since Red Auerbach (yes, I know Phil Jackson exists), so reading all these glowing things Pop says about Brad Stevens makes me feel VERY good about the Celtics future.

I’ll go back to the Doc debacle and again use that as an example that sometimes when something is going terribly wrong, it could actually end up being a good thing. Brad Stevens is a pretty damn good coach in the NBA, and he’s the right coach for these guys.

If Popovich gives him the seal of approval, then we should feel lucky to have gotten him before another team did.

Related links:  MassLive: Popovich (again) shares admiration for Stevens

And Finally…

… It looks like Kevin Durant is done for the season… not the it matters much to Russell Westbrook. He recorded another triple double last night. OKC is now 2 games up on New Orleans for 8th in the West.

The Celtics are still 8th in the East thanks to Indiana’s loss. Charlotte is half game back (tied in the loss column). Miami’s win last night puts them 2 games up on Boston and Indy in the 7th seed.

Oh… and John Wall did this last night…

Holy shit

The rest of the links

Globe: Celtics no match for defending champion Spurs | Leonard the straw that stirs San Antonio |  Herald: Method to Stevens’ madness  |  Spurs stick it to Celtics   |  CSNNE: C’s suffer 2nd straight loss but remain in 8th  |  Stevens: Loss to Spurs should be an eye opener  |  Deep Green: Work ethic is power for Jae Crowder  |  ESPN Boston: C’s need to respond better to adversity  |  WEEI: 5 things we learned as Spurs stick it to Celtics  | MassLive: Spurs dominate the first, Stevens praises Kawhi  |  Larranaga turns down interest from George Mason