Marcus Smart Steps Up Big On Offense And Defense In Game 4
BOSTON (CBS) -- There's a good chance you're going to feel a wide range of emotions when you watch Marcus Smart play basketball.
Watching his performance on Sunday night, you can't help but feel promise for the future of the Celtic guard.
Smart did a little bit of everything for Boston in their crucial 104-95 Game 4 win over the Atlanta Hawks, a win that evens their playoff series at two games apiece. In a game the Celtics had to win, or face heading back to Atlanta in a 3-1 series hole, Smart filled the stat sheet on the offensive end with 20 points, eight rebounds and five assists. And it should come as no surprise to Celtics fans that Smart got it done on the defensive end, playing solid defense on Kyle Korver before shifting to Paul Millsap in the fourth quarter.
Yes, Brad Stevens tasked Smart with slowing down a player with four inches and about 40 pounds on him, one who ended Sunday night with a game-high 45 points. Most of those points came before Smart started pestering him in the low post, using all of his six-foot-four frame to frustrate Millsap the rest of the way. The Atlanta forward had just two points in the final 10:33 of the contest. Overall, the Hawks were just 1-for-10 from the floor when Smart was guarding them.
Smart, who prides himself on his defense and, more importantly, stepping up when it matters most, said he was surprised when he received the assignment from Stevens. But that didn't mean he wasn't up for trying to do something no Celtic could do the previous 36 minutes.
"Coach was like, 'You know what, we've got to try something new.' And he looked, turned at me and said, 'Marcus, guard him.' And that's all he said," Smart explained. "I just kind of looked like, 'OK.' And then my teammates were very supportive about that, just telling me, 'You can guard him. Just stay down and force him into our help, and just play with your hands back.'
"Guarding a guy like him and him being so hot, you've just got to contain him the best you can, and that's just pressuring him. I tried to use my speed, my quickness against him and just kind of get up under him and make him play on his heels," Smart said.
The assignment may have surprised Smart, but nothing he does on the court catches his teammates off guard anymore. Smart guarding a bigger player on the defensive end isn't very new, as Stevens called upon the guard to D-up against Knicks rookie Kristaps Porzingis (nearly a foot taller than Smart) during the regular season. Like he did to Millsap on Sunday night, Smart frustrated the bigger player, taking him out of his offensive groove.
"I can't describe it," said Isaiah Thomas. "I mean, you give Marcus Smart an assignment, he's probably going to get it done. No matter who he's playing against, he's a hell of a competitor. You need guys like that to win in the playoffs."
"His aggressiveness, his competitiveness, his spirit – our team needs it," Stevens said after the win.
"I'm a basketball player. I don't really define myself as any position, and I think that's what's been so unique about me growing up and playing ball," said Smart. "It's kind of hard to define my position, and it's kind of hard to see who you're going to put on me, if you're going to put a four, a three, a two or a one on me because of my versatility... And going to guard other bigs, and then covering the guards, it's tough. But I pride myself on defense and this team knows that, my teammates know that, and the coaches know that. And they trust me to do that."
While we're all used to his aggressive defense, it's Smart's offensive game that can drive you bananas. Often times, he shoots a jumper when he should have driven to the basket. Or he drives to the basket, only to telegraph his move to the rim and gets blocked from behind. He shot just 25.6 percent from three point range in the regular season, but still doesn't show much trepidation at heaving up a handful of triples on a given night.
But on an evening when Boston needed someone other than Thomas to step up on the offensive end, the second-year guard was ready to answer. Smart scored 11 straight points in the fourth quarter, with a loud baseline jam followed by back-to-back threes to give Boston an 85-84 with 5:20 to go.
Smart said it was one of the best offensive rhythms he's ever been in, but quickly gave credit to Thomas for doing most of the work on those key three-pointers.
"Isaiah did a heck of a job with the way that they were guarding him, still being able to penetrate and find guys, and I was one of those guys on the end of that," he said. "Isaiah doing all that work, I had to make the shot."
One big playoff game does not make a career, but Smart's confidence will be soaring as he and the Celtics head to Atlanta for Game 5 on Tuesday, which bodes well for a team that needs someone to step up in the absence of injured guard Avery Bradley. Smart can't promise there won't be those frustrating lapses, when his aggressive nature gets the best of him, but that's part of what makes Smart such an interesting and enigmatic part of these "never say quit" Boston Celtics.
"I think I've given at least every coach I've played for a heart attack at least once. But what player hasn't? You're going to mess up. You're not perfect. But there's definitely a line between being aggressive and in control," he said. "You've got to determine between the two. You can be aggressive while still in control."
Once he gets that down completely, there's a good chance we'll see more nights like Sunday night out of the former No. 6 overall pick.
"He's going to be special in this league," Thomas said of Smart. "He's only 22 years old. Imagine in a few years what he's going to be like."