Irving says desire to win led to tirade after loss

Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving was visibly frustrated after his team's 105-103 loss to the Orlando Magic on Saturday. He explained Monday that his championship aspirations fueled the postgame scene.

"I never want to come from a place where I don't want to sound like, or make it feel like, I don't want to win a championship," Irving said, according to ESPN's Ian Bagley. "Sometimes I may come off and say things, never to question my teammates like that in public ever again; I just want to win so bad."

Irving is the lone Celtic to play meaningful minutes for an NBA champion, which he did as a member of the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers.

"It came from a place where I asked for a trade and I'm coming here and I believe in this organization and I want these young guys to be successful," Irving said. "In order to (do) that, we all got to be on the same page and have that mindset that, a championship or nothing. And sometimes that can get the best of me at times."

With expectations high this season after a deep postseason run in 2018, the Celtics sit fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Boston reached the Eastern Conference finals last year without Irving or Gordon Hayward but eventually fell in seven games to the Cavaliers.

Irving is averaging 22.7 points, 6.4 assists, and 4.8 rebounds in 38 appearances this season.