Losing skids can wear on the nerves of even the most hardened, veteran teams, and Boston forward Marcus Morris was aware that the Celtics needed something positive to reverse the collective mood from four consecutive losses and the constant questioning of what's wrong.
"I just want to get a couple smiles out of them, and we'll be good," Morris said.
The Celtics were all smiles following their 107-96 home win over the Washington Wizards on Friday, their first victory since the All-Star Game break. On Sunday, Boston will host the Houston Rockets at TD Garden aiming to build positive momentum, something that has proven elusive since the Celtics won 10 of 11 games over a three-week stretch that started in mid-January.