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Tim BontempsESPN
Lake Buena Vista, Fla. – In Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics, Raptors guard Norman Powell’s ball was on a quick break against Celtics guard Marcus Smart, which lasted less than a minute. Overtime and converted an A-1 layout that helped seal the dramatic Toronto victory to keep the series alive.
With less than a minute to go into Game 7 on Friday night, the same scenario presents itself. This time, however, Smart made sure there would be a different outcome.
“As soon as Norm grabbed the butt I immediately remembered the last game,” Smart said later.
“In my mind I was just saying to myself, ‘He’s going to have to drown him. I’m not saying anything wrong. I’ll just meet with him and see who wins that battle.’
It turned out that Smart’s defense, as it often does, won this time. And, as a result, the Celtics won 92-87 and advanced to the finals of the Eastern Conference.
E 58.3 seconds left Smart’s block on Powell – a play reminiscent of the chasedown block by LeBron James against Andre Igudala in Game of the NBA Finals in 201 N – prevented Toronto from its best last-minute score, as the Celtics hit for the third time in four years. The conference proceeded to the final.
After surviving close calls from the Raptors in Games 3 and Rap, Smart’s block proved to be the moment that eventually sent the defending champion home from the NBA bubble at Walt Disney World Resort.
“I’ll bet on myself 110% of the time,” Smarter said. “I’m the all-rounder of the first team for a reason, and I wholeheartedly believe that.”
Smart always draws attention behind the players of his high-profile team in Boston, and he stayed in Game 7. Jason Tatum (29 points, 12 rebounds and 7 assists) became the second youngest player in NBA history to score at least 25 points. , 10 rebounds and 5 assists in the game – just behind his idol, Kobe Bryant. Jalen Brown had 21 points, and Kemba Vaker Kar struggled overall but made a lot of important plays in the fourth, with 7.9 seconds left with a clean free throw.
But ask anyone around the Celtics, and they’ll say he’s a smart one – his toughness, his defense and his no-stop – which is the heart and soul of this team. And it was right that his game was the one that helped seal Boston’s win in this game and in this series.
“That block was very special,” Waker said. “It was unrealistic. That’s why he’s the first-team all-defense. He shows it night after night. He’s done a lot of great plays tonight. A lot of things that he just takes into consideration.
“But that kid, he’s special, man. He’s on a different level at that end of the basketball court.”
Smart had a huge role in the struggle of Raptors star Pascal Siakam in the series. He made several stops on Powell in the fourth quarter before his highlight block. And, if it weren’t for Toronto’s late comeback in Game 6, it would be Smart’s first playoff triple-double in the game, the same thing that took Boston to the pre-finals of the Miami Heat Game early on.
Even after surviving this snail in the series against the Raptors, the Celtics will be happy to go there, having managed everything in Boston despite being outplayed for the vast majority of the series by their own entry into the team.
“Of course,” Celtics coach Brad Stevens said when asked if Boston had fared better as a result of playing the series against Toronto. “I mean, now I coach in a lot of playoff games, a lot of playoff series and a lot of NCAA tournament games. I say when we worked harder we saw more defense and more stuff and more … the next play it worked now Does not. It is a credit to them.
“We definitely have to get harder. There’s definitely a lot more in our toolbox to go back to. Now we have to prepare for a different, more unique team in Miami.”
The Celtics should also have a separate team against the Heat. Injured forward Gordon Hayward, who missed the first game of the first round of the series after a Grade 3 right ankle sprain against Bolaton’s Philadelphia 76ers, is now out of quarantine after returning home for the birth of a fourth child and was working. Game Out on the court before.
Stevens said he expects Headward to return at some point against Miami but does not know when. Monday will be four weeks after Hayward’s injury – which was the original deadline for his return. The Boston series against Miami will begin Tuesday night.
The Celtics will play a big part in it due to Smart’s game until Friday night.
“The rush, the obstacles, the toughness … that’s a huge part of our team,” Stevens said. “It’s a big part of our organization.
“I said this before the playoffs, we got a chance to play [the playoffs] He’s been here every year, and it’s no coincidence. “
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