[ad_1]
Boston Celtics fans love Marcus Smart. Smart isn’t a flashy scorer or takedown shooter, but he has resonated with the fanbase as a player who will do whatever it takes to win. Every now and then, that pathos will get the better of you. That’s exactly what happened in the third quarter of Game 2 in Boston’s second-round series against the Toronto Raptors in the NBA playoffs.
As Raptors guard Fred VanVleet pushed the ball on a fast break for a layup, Smart intentionally collided with Toronto’s Pascal Siakam to attempt a foul. It was a blatant attempt at failure on Smart’s part.
As cheeky as it was, it actually worked, at least at first. The initial decision on the court was a foul on Siakam before the basket was counted. After Raptors coach Nick Nurse challenged the play, officials reversed the decision, handing the bucket to VanVleet and awarding Siakam a free throw.
Here’s another angle:
Smart responded by catching fire in the fourth quarter, hitting five 3s when we posted this.
It was an obvious failure for Smart, but trust me: this will only make Celtics fans love him more.
