There were no whispers or stutters. Doc Rivers did not slur the “S” in the word “soft” when he called out the Celtics after a pathetic 95-83 loss to the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday night. It was something he has been thinking for weeks, a weapon that he was waiting to unleash at the perfect moment.

No grown man wants to be called “soft.” In a way, it’s like telling your wife that she has gained weight — there is no taking those words back, regardless of how many years pass. The word “soft” will be deeply embedded in the memory of the Boston players — players who pride themselves on their toughness, who strut on the court wearing Celtic green knowing (or at least they used to) that the opposing team was intimidated.