Marcus Smart gave life to the Celtics on both ends in Game 3
Smart was physical with Steph Curry on defense, and hit enough shots of his own to help Boston pull away.
Even if you’re among the segment of Celtics fans – a growing majority, I’d like to believe – that loves and trusts Marcus Smart, anyone familiar with his body of work knows he’s the ultimate no-no-yes! shooter.
On the good nights, he’ll bury shots that made you wince when he was teeing them up, you know? But on those more erratic evenings at the arena, when he forgets that as the point guard he’s supposed to initiate the offense rather than dominate it, he can be a no-no-c’mon-man-why? shooter.
On Wednesday night in Game 3 of the NBA Finals, it took Smart a little bit of time to get going. He had 4 points and a pair of assists in the first quarter. But by the end of the night – an impressive 116-100 win in which the Celtics seized a 2-1 series lead by maintaining their composure after blowing a 12-point halftime lead – Smart had filled out the stat sheet with 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Along the way, he also hit some of the most important shots of the second half in an emboldening win that puts the Celtics two wins from their 18th banner. His biggest bucket – and probably the most crucial shot of the game – came with 3 minutes and 9 seconds remaining in the third quarter. The Celtics, who had been outscored in the first two games of this series in the third quarter, 73-38, had just watched another lead slip from their grasp when Steph Curry (31 points) knocked down a 3-pointer at the 3:32 mark to give the Warriors an 83-82 lead.
That was the Warriors’ first lead since 2-0, and it came shortly after Curry spurred a seven-point possession (he swished a 3-pointer and added a free throw after a dubious flagrant foul call on Al Horford, then Otto Porter chucked in a 3 after the flagrant allowed them to maintain possession) that cut the Celtics lead from nine points to two.
Celtics fans could be excused if they expected the Celtics to crumble. But they didn’t, in part because Smart answered Curry’s go-ahead 3 with a confident catch-and-shoot 3-pointer of his own off a Jayson Tatum pass, putting the Celtics ahead, 85-83. The Celtics never trailed again.
“It’s on our minds heavy,” acknowledged Smart regarding the Celtics’ habitual third-quarter struggles. “We talk about it. I think for us all year it’s kind of been a little shaky in the third quarter. But we found a way. That’s what makes us such a great team, because we still found a way to counterbalance that and come out with a victory or put ourselves in a good position to win at the end of the game.
“For me, it was [about staying] poised,” he added about hitting the shot that put the Celtics back in the lead. “Just stay calm. We’ve been here before. They’re a really good team. They’re going to go on runs, but so are we. We just have to bolt down and go on our run. If I didn’t stay as poised and calm … it would have been a snowball effect for us. I was just trying to control that aspect of the game.”
Smart was essential in helping the Celtics control the game and build upon their lead in the fourth quarter. He scored 8 points in the final frame, including two more meaningful 3-pointers. The first came with just under 11 minutes to play and the Warriors still threatening to go on one of their torrid shooting streaks and steal the first Finals game at TD Garden since Game 6 in 2010.
With the shot clock winding down, Smart banked in a 3-pointer – he certainly did not appear to call glass – to put the Celtics up 98-89 and allow them to exhale slightly.
Just about six minutes later, they could breathe easy. Smart drilled a corner 3 for a 110-96 lead, and the Warriors soon realized that time was not going to be on their side. When Smart overpowered Curry on a driving layup with 2:19 left, building the Celtics’ advantage to 114-100, the Warriors emptied their bench.
It must be noted, even though it is unsurprising, that Smart was a physical presence on both offense and defense. He took Curry into the post and scored over him at least four different times, getting the Warriors’ star in foul trouble. He also was his usual relentless self on defense, his best play coming when he emerged with the ball from a scrum that seemed to involve half the players on the court with 4:07 left, a sequence that led to the utterly ineffective Draymond Green picking up his sixth foul.
“We had to [be physical],’’ said Smart. “Game 2, they brought the heat to us. For us, that left a bad taste in our mouth because what we hang our hat on is effort on the defensive end and being a physical team. It definitely woke us up a little bit.”
The Celtics were the more physical team, and they were resilient in the face of their usual third-quarter adversity. Marcus Smart was essential in both regards. Do we think every single shot he takes is going in? Well, no. Are the Celtics, two wins from a title, fortunate he’s in their corner? Yes, yes, yes.
To comment, please create a screen name in your profile
To comment, please verify your email address
Conversation
This discussion has ended. Please join elsewhere on Boston.com