"Bench players talking like starters" - Celtics fans react to Dereck Lively II downplaying intensity of Boston crowd during Finals

Fans shared their thoughts on the comments made by Dallas Mavericks rookie Dereck Lively II downplaying the intensity of Boston fans. The Mavs are down 0-2 in the NBA Finals but are confident they'll get back to the series in Game 3. Lively devalued the energy from the crowd at TD Garden in the first two games.

The Boston Celtics have the upper hand in the best-of-seven finals series against the Mavs. The energy from their home crowd in the first two games has helped them take an advantage.

However, the Mavs aren't bothered with the energy from the crowd. After Game 1, Kyrie Irving commented on the reception his team received in Boston. The former Celtics star shared that he was expecting louder boos from the fans. Now, it's Lively who commented on being unbothered in dealing with the fans.

"I honestly didn't think it was that loud. There's a bunch of rumors about how Boston's gonna be so loud, so nasty, and I thought it was gonna be worse," Lively said.

However, fans didn't like Lively's comments regarding the Boston crowd being underwhelming for him, especially because the Mavs are down in the series. Here are some of what the fans had to say about it.

"Bench players talking like starters again," one fan said.

"All these Mavs talking about how little the Garden got to them basically confirms how much it actually got to them," another fan said.

"Says the guy who is useless on the floor," one fan said.

"Why are the guys who played terrible saying this," another fan said.

However, there were a few fans who agreed with Lively's comments.

"I mean he is right 😭 i been there before and was disappointed honestly," a fan said.

"It honestly doesn’t sound that loud on TV. Kinda weak honestly," another fan said.

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Former DPOY winner continues to mentor Dereck Lively II

The NBA Finals have been tough for Dereck Lively II to be effective for the Mavs. Compared to his performance against the Minnesota Timberwolves in the Western Conference finals, he hasn't found a way to contribute to the team. Luckily for him, former Defensive Player of the Year winner Tyson Chandler is ready to encourage him.

After Game 1 where Lively scored two points and grabbed five rebounds off the bench, he received encouragement from Chandler. Yahoo! Sports' Jake Fischer shared how the 2011 champion reached out to the rookie.

"When Lively returned to the Mavericks’ locker room Thursday night, his phone had already been pinged by former Defensive Player of the Year Tyson Chandler," Fischer wrote. "Reminders to keep his head down, to stick to the grind."

Lively seeks to bounce back in Game 3 to help the Mavs get back to the series.