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 was uncertainty in their voices before the Boston Celtics set out on a season-long six-game road trip earlier this month. Boston had lost 11 of its previous 14 games, hadn’t beaten a Western Conference opponent on the road since February 2013 and had just endured a series of trades that shuffled an already mismatched roster.

But a funny thing happened out west. Instead of coming completely unglued, as some might have expected, the Celtics responded with some of their most competitive basketball of the season. After pulling out narrow wins in Portland and Denver, a shorthanded Boston squad hung with the league-leading Golden State Warriors on Sunday night before enduring a 114-111 defeat at Oracle Arena.

Although a 2-2 record to start the trip is little to write home about, you get the sense there’s a bit of newfound energy around these Celtics. Boston never really threatened to steal Sunday’s game against Golden State, but it managed to hang around in a venue where the Warriors have been nearly untouchable and routinely stomps opponents as they pass through.

[…]

One of the things Stevens stressed before the team departed on this road trip is the desire to build good habits. Stevens is realistic about his team’s situation, but he also knows a key to accelerating this rebuilding process is getting his young talent to utilize every ounce of their potential. Stevens knows wins won’t come regularly with this squad, but that can’t prevent him from attempting to instill a winning attitude and a winning culture.

ESPN Boston – Celtics making progress out west

When the Celtics visited the Clippers a week ago to kick off what was expected to be the beginning of the Celtics precipitous plunge to the depths of the Eastern Conference standings, ex-Celts coach Doc Rivers spoke to the Boston media about the opportunity to build a winning culture with a young, lottery-bound team. The 06-07 Celtics were playing for ping pong balls, not banners, but youngsters Rajon Rondo and Kendrick Perkins were logging meaningful minutes. Every close, competitive game served a purpose, even if they and we couldn’t see it at the time.

Now that these 14-15 Celtics are essentially stripped down to their remaining parts, it’s these players who need to develop a winning culture. In addition to winning two close games with clutch play from young guys, the Celts have hung tough with two of the best teams in the league out west. The Ubuntu Celtics lost at Oracle Arena in their first three seasons together, and those Warriors weren’t exactly setting the world on fire. These anonymous Celtics refused to get run out of the gym against the best team in basketball. They executed down the stretch to make the Warriors sweat, turning an 8-point game with under a minute to play into a one-possession game in the waning seconds.

This trip now sets up a “prove it” moment for the Celtics. They’ve battled against a few playoff teams and cashed in with a victory against an apathetic Nuggets squad. Now they get two very winnable games in Utah and Minnesota to close the trip out. Even the title contending Celtics of the late 00s struggled to stay above water on long, west-coast road trips. As this group continues to develop a winning culture, they can salvage a winning record out West that no one thought possible.

On Page 2, Gerald Wallace quotes are gold

I tell Gerald Wallace he had his 1st FG since Dec 12. He says, “This season or last season?”

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) January 26, 2015

Ah, to be Gerald Wallace. I’m guessing when Brad motioned down to the very end of the bench for Crash to check in to last night’s game, he shot a look back that said:

“Brad, son, are you serious? Isn’t that what we’re keeping Tayshaun around to do? Play minutes and get overpaid? My role is to dole out hugs and handshakes, stay in my warm-ups and get paid.”

His answer to Steve Bulpett is hilarious and hyper self-aware. The dude’s give a fu*k meter is on empty because rumor has it he made $2 million just while giving Bulpett an interview. I’m all for more Gerald Wallace quotes and even playing time, considering he went 3-3 from the field.

The Rest of the Links:

CSNNE – Wallace provides lift off Celtics bench vs. Warriors

NESN – Celtics Notes: Brad Stevens Not Stressing Over C’s Free-Throw Struggles

MassLive – Jared Sullinger’s big game not enough, Boston Celtics fall 114-11 to Golden State Warriors