Group text from absent Irving helped Celtics stay poised in Game 2 win

Kyrie Irving didn't attend Game 2, but he was with the Boston Celtics in spirit.

The All-Star point guard sent a group text message to his teammates ahead of Tuesday's tilt, which he missed after showing support from the bench in Game 1. It resonated with the undermanned Celtics as they defeated the Milwaukee Bucks 120-106 to go up 2-0 in their first-round series.

"(Irving) sent us a message before the game today, just telling us what to expect," Shane Larkin revealed after the win, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg.

"We have a lot of guys in here that have never seen a playoff game. So he really gave some words of advice today and we all read it, made some comments back, and he just had an open conversation with us and he's definitely helping off the court now that he can't be out there with us fighting.

"He's definitely still locked in with us every single game."

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Irving, who's done for the season after undergoing surgery on his left knee earlier in April, hoped his focus and intensity would spread to his teammates. The club's leader in scoring and assists encouraged the other Celtics players to stay locked in and not to worry if adversity hit.

"And I thought our guys just did that. (The Bucks) made a run and we stayed poised and moved on to the next thing," Al Horford said.

The All-Star big man indicated Irving's text was meaningful and a nice way to contribute to the team when he's unable to suit up.