EL SEGUNDO, Calif. -- The Los Angeles Lakers play their longtime rival Boston Celtics on Sunday, but all anybody wanted to talk about following the team's light practice Saturday was what was talked about at the team's meeting between players and coaches Thursday in Minnesota.

The Lakers canceled practice Thursday following back-to-back losses to Detroit and Washington on their three-game road trip that ended with a 105-102 win over the Timberwolves on Friday.

In place of practice, Lakers coach Mike Brown scheduled a film review at the team hotel and invited players and his coaching staff to speak their minds.

Part of the assistant coaches' message was urging the players to curtail any "external chatter," according to a source.

"It wasn't an airing out session," Brown said Saturday, downplaying its significance. "It was a film session."

The session was mostly X's and O's based and run by Brown until he handed over the floor to his assistant coaches.

"I utilized my assistants a lot because I don't like the players hearing my voice a lot," Brown said. "I talked a lot. I said, 'You know what? I'm going to have someone else talk.' After two losses like that everybody's feeling kind of down. So, I wanted to hear other guys' voices."

Players were invited to speak after Lakers assistant coaches John Kuester and Chuck Person left strong impressions.

When no player volunteered to speak up, Brown said he requested that "my three leaders" share their thoughts; first Pau Gasol, then Derek Fisher and finally Kobe Bryant.

"I stuck to my beliefs and my principles, which is togetherness, unity," Gasol said. "If we're going to be successful, we're going to do it all together being on the same page, holding each other accountable and just counting on each other and having each other's back. That's my thing. That's how I learned to play this game. That's how I love playing this game. And, communication (is important). Being on the same page, communicate, talk to each other, those are keys I think for any team to function together."

Fisher, who has a reputation of knowing when to say the right thing at the right time, including calling an impromptu players' only meeting following a win over Portland earlier this season, said that from a player's standpoint "it wasn't a time to go there," but he, Bryant and Gasol engaged in the conversation out of respect to the coaching staff who had spoken up.