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There is no Boston Celtics series win against the Toronto Raptors in the 2020 East Playoffs second round without Marcus Smart, and the block he made in the last minute of the game against Raptors guard Norman Powell is just the exclamation mark why.
“That blocking was so special, it was unreal,” recounted his teammate Kemba Walker after the victory. It wasn’t just Smart’s defense that won the day, he had plenty of help, and at times from surprising corners.
Rookie teammate Grant Williams’ key plays down the stretch and the solid defense of sophomore center Robert Williams III combined to cover his teammate Daniel Theis, in foul trouble late.
But that particular block is one of the key turning points of a game full of them.
“That’s why he’s in total first-team defense,” Walker added. “It shows it night after night. He made so many big plays tonight. A lot of the things he does go unnoticed … he’s special, man. He’s on a different level at that end of the basketball court. “
Also noteworthy is the eerie similarity to a sequence at the end of Game 6 that saw Smart take on Powell in the closing seconds of that game, the Toronto point guard turning the 3-point game old-fashioned to help secure a victory.
“That block is fun, because as soon as Norman caught the ball, I instantly remembered the last game where the exact same play attacked me across the court and got the y-one,” Smart said. “Game closed, and I think he put three on them. So when he caught the ball in my mind, I thought ‘he has to shoot it, I’m not going to foul, I’m just going to meet him upstairs and we’ll see who wins that.’ battle.'”
“I will bet on myself 110% of the time; I’m the first team in defense for a reason, and I believe in that wholeheartedly, ”added Smart.
Boston fans, and their teammates, tend to totally agree.
“The hustle, the blocking, the toughness, offered head coach Brad Stevens,“ is a huge part of our team. It is a huge part of our organization.
“I said it before the playoffs, we have the opportunity to play every year that he’s been here, and it’s not a coincidence.
At this point in Smart’s tenure, the longest of all current Celts, that is very clear.
