What Marcus Smart, other Celtics said about his performance in Game 2 victory
"I ain't never met somebody like Smart. He is one of a kind."
Marcus Smart put on a signature Marcus Smart performance in the Celtics’ 102-99 win over the Raptors on Tuesday.
Late in the third quarter, Smart embellished contact from Pascal Siakam on a Raptors fast break that was called a foul on Siakam and took away the basket made by Fred VanVleet. However, Toronto challenged the call and it was overturned to a Smart foul, giving the Raptors the two points back and Siakam a free throw — which he made — to put the Raptors up by 12.
After that play, it seemed like Smart didn’t do a single thing wrong. He made three consecutive 3-pointers in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter that cut the Raptors’ lead to 80-79.
Smart wasn’t done there. He made his next two 3-pointers, which was capped off with an and-one when he was fouled by OG Anunoby to give the Celtics an 86-85 lead with 7:55 remaining.
“I just kept telling myself ‘all you need is one to go in, you’ll be right back there,'” Smart said. “Once I saw the first one go in, I knew the next time I’m catching it, I’m shooting it, if I’m open.”
Celtics coach Brad Stevens told reporters after the game that Smart “has always affected winning in a big way” and that his 16 fourth-quarter points gave the team’s offense a “jolt” after a 20-point third quarter.
“He does whatever needs to be done to win,” Stevens said of Smart’s performance. “Tonight, we needed a little jolt offensively. We missed some open shots against that zone at the end of the third, early fourth. But then he made a bunch in a row and loosens up the D.”
MAKE THAT 5 pic.twitter.com/7OdfqTefrH
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) September 1, 2020
The Celtics ended up outscoring the Raptors 32-21 in the fourth quarter with Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum making shots in the final minutes to hold the lead.
Smart’s biggest play of the game may have been with 35 seconds left when he stripped the ball from Siakam’s hands and knocked it out of bounds as he was driving to the rim to cut the Celtics’ three-point lead to one.
Raptors head coach Nick Nurse told reporters after the game that he thought Smart “fouled the s— out of [Siakam]” on that play. No foul was called and Siakam stepped out of bounds when he went to line up for a 3-point shot a few seconds later.
Smart finished the game with 19 points, three rebounds, two blocks, and an assist. Stevens sang Smart’s praises and said attributed him to the team’s success over his six-year career.
“Marcus has been a winning player since he’s gotten here,” Stevens said. “I’ve said many times that we’ve been in the playoffs every year since he’s been here and that’s not a coincidence.”
Smart ended up shooting 6-for-11 from 3-point territory on Tuesday, making it the second straight game where he’s made more than half of his 3-point attempts (he went 5-for-9 in Game 1). He struggled from 3-point territory in the Celtics’ series against the 76ers, shooting just 2-for-15, but he’s willing to find different ways to help get a win.
“Last series against Philly, we had guys like Jayson and Jaylen (Brown) who were really rolling,” Smart said. “My touches on the offensive end were limited, which is okay because we’re so versatile and talented.
“I just have to do what I have to do, and that’s play defense and do all the little things I could to help my team win. Same thing this series, just tonight my team needed more scoring from me and I brought it.”
Smart also joked on Twitter that he was in his “I.T. mode,” referring to his former teammate, Isaiah Thomas, who was nicknamed “King of the 4th quarter.”
I was in my I.T. mode fr fr … https://t.co/ubeJnkaOol
— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) September 2, 2020
Smart’s performance earned him praise from his current teammates, too.
“There’s only one Marcus Smart,” Walker said. “I’ll tell you that much right now. There’s only one. Different beast. That dude is unbelievable. He’s a monster.
“That’s just a will to win, man. And he brings that to our team,” Walker added on Smart’s fourth-quarter performance.
Tatum, who scored a game-high 34 points, said that Smart was “amazing” Tuesday night and gave the team a “spark when we needed it.”
“I ain’t never played with somebody like Smart,” Tatum said. “I ain’t never met somebody like Smart. He is one of a kind.”
Vincent Poirier, who was active but did not play Tuesday night, joined in on praising Smart’s performance on Twitter.
“Have a Marcus Smart in your life, it will be better,” Poirier wrote with a green clover emoji at the end.
Have a Marcus Smart in your life, it will be better 🍀
— Vincent Poirier (@viinze_17P) September 2, 2020
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