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.

“There were a lot of small plays that the good teams make,” said Avery Bradley of the hosts. “Not to say we’re not a good team; we’re obviously trying to become a team like the Spurs with our youth.”

[…]

“We made some mistakes at the wrong time, and with a team like that, when you make a mistake, they’re going to capitalize every time,” said Thomas, who led all scorers with 23. “They’re like a machine. No matter who’s out there on the floor, they’re going to play the same way. We made a run, and they didn’t even budge. They just kept making small plays here and there. Hopefully we can get to that point some time.”

Herald: Celtics stay composed in defeat

The Celtics played a pretty good game last night and just lost to a better team (108-105 to be exact). Yes , the Celtics stormed out of the gate with a huge lead and then finished with a flourish, but that long stretch of Spurs by 10-or-so is indicative of the real divide between these teams. The Spurs were in total control for a significant portion of the game.

But these Celtics are scrappy, and they made that run in the end… showing that you need to close out the Celtics and put them away or they’ll come back to bite you.

Still in the end, the Spurs could rely on one thing the Celtics can’t…

“We competed hard all night long,” Spurs Head Coach Gregg Popovich said. “We just had an experienced group that executed some stuff down the stretch.”

Going back to that Thomas quote… “they’re like a machine.” They ran simple plays like spreading out the floor, running Ginobili off a soft pick and then let him read the defense. As soon as Evan Turner relaxed and turned his head, he planted, changed directions, and went back door for an easy layup (video). That’s Tony Parker, Tim Duncan, and Ginobili playing together forever and knowing how to execute and when.

It’s calm. It’s precise. It’s perfect. This is why the Spurs are “The Spurs.” Contrast that with the Avery Bradley 3 at the end of the game.

Isaiah Thomas dribbles down the lane, Bradley takes a couple of steps towards him and then realizes what’s happening so he backs up. Then he gets the ball and…

“I was kind of stuck and didn’t know what to do,” he said. “I heard everyone saying, ‘Shoot the ball,’ from the bench. They had confidence in me. So I shot it thinking it was going to go in, and unfortunately it didn’t.”

With a chance to take the lead, a guy who can easily make that corner 3 was “stuck and didn’t know what to do.”

That’s not calm, it’s panicky. It’s not precise, it’s haphazard. It’s not perfect, it’s chaotic.

The Celtics fought and scrapped and played hard. Fans should be proud of the effort. But there’s a reason why Boston’s young scrappy fighters looked across the court at their aging opponents with a bit of envy. Because while grit and balls can win you a couple of rounds or maybe even a few fights from time to time, it’s the experience and ability to execute calmly that makes you great.

This, of course, isn’t the Celtics’ fault.  They’re still very much a work in progress and it’s impressive that they’ve done what they’ve done so far. Eventually, though, the guys will need to get to the point where they can communicate by simple glances like the Spurs do… where every player knows where to be and what to do in clutch situations.

When they get to that point, then they can start finishing off some of these close games.

Related links: Globe: Celtics valiant in loss  |  CSNNE: Celtics need more experience to beat Spurs  |  Bradley shines in Texas  |  ESPN Boston: C’s earn their spurs with rally that falls short  |  WEEI: Ginobili, Spurs spoil late comeback  |  MassLive: Thomas charges late comeback, but Celtics fall to Spurs

Page 2: Crowder likes going small

“I enjoy (playing the 4),” he said. Speaking truth, he continued, “I think last year that’s what we excelled at. And I enjoy playing that position because I’m able to guard other 4s, and it’s a disadvantage on their behalf when I’ve got the ball at my hands at the 4.”

Boston’s small lineup was effective enough that Spurs coach Gregg Popovich went away from LaMarcus Aldridge for stretches of crunch-time, opting instead to shift Leonard to the 4.

“We made a run there late,” Crowder said, “and we stuck with it, and I was playing the 4. I tried to make (Boris) Diaw a non-factor because he had got it going.”

MassLive: Crowder likes small lineup that charged comeback

Call me crazy, but I think the David Lee injury did Boston a favor. Without Lee clogging up minutes at the 4, the Celtics were free to go with Jerebko and Crowder there for longer stretches.

I’ve been worried about the David Lee fit for a while. I wrote this in October:

But there remains his inability to step out beyond the arc or defend anyone effectively, which Boston really wants from guys in this spot. There is no pace without frontcourt defense, and there is no space when opposing bigs don’t have to respect the 3-pointer. So I wonder if Lee is going to last the whole season in Boston.

Apply that to what we saw last night, which is Crowder guarding the 4 effectively and going perfect from the floor, including 3-3 from deep.

And as Jay King has said on multiple Rainin’ J’s podcasts about Jerebko… playing at the 4 is when he’s most effective because THAT’S where he’s the matchup problem. Playing him at the just makes him a subpar small forward that doesn’t deserve much time.

So yes, it’d be great if the Celtics can go small more with Jerebko or Crowder on the floor (depending on when in the game they’re playing), but that means the Celtics will have to do something about Lee.

Personally, I’m fine with benching him for longer stretches, but I’m not sure how that will affect the locker room.

Good luck with this, Brad!

Related links: Globe: Lee wants to make his minutes count  |  CSNNE: Injuries catching up to Celtics bench

The rest of the links

Herald: Shot to win with Spur worth cost to David West  |  Notebook: Praise goes both ways  |  Spurs GM hopes to build off Ainge  |  MassLive: As usual, Popovich & Stevens express mutual respect