2022 NBA Finals: Marcus Smart Shines In Boston's Game 3 Victory
Getting off to a fast start, maintaining their lead and being able to outperform the Golden State Warriors late in the game were the three points of emphasis for the Boston Celtics heading into Game 3 on Wednesday night.
Not only did they get off to a fast start, but the Celtics were able to pull away from the Warriors in the fourth quarter after surrendering a double-digit lead in the third quarter. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown were huge factors in this game offensively for Boston, as was Marcus Smart, who was coming off a really weak performance in Game 2.
Just one game removed from scoring 2 points on 1-6 shooting and not being aggressive whatsoever, Marcus Smart looked much more comfortable in Game 3, as he finished with 24 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists and shot 8-17 from the floor, five of his made shots coming inside the paint.
“Game 2, they brought the heat to us,” Smart said after the game. “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.”
Following the Warriors taking the lead at one point in the third quarter and Stephen Curry checking out with just under 3 minutes to go in the third, the Celtics held Golden State to just 17 points the rest of the way.
Staying aggressive on offense also got the job done for them and Marcus Smart’s ability to play one-on-one offensively really gave Boston a huge boost that they were lacking offensively in Game 2.
Time-and-time again, he took matters into his own hands on offense and either made the right read to hit an open teammate with a pass on the perimeter or take advantage of Stephen Curry, who was in foul trouble, on the drive one-on-one.
This season’s Defensive Player of the Year has impacted this series in more ways than one so far and when he really gets things going offensively, the Boston Celtics are a completely different team.
Moving forward, Smart must keep this same mindset of being aggressive not just defensively, but on offense as well heading into Game 4.
Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown can only do so much for this team and while Al Horford has stepped up at times as well in this series, the third key scoring weapon on this team is Marcus Smart.
Golden State is going to make adjustments defensively and they are going to continue to hunt for ways to limit the opportunities of Boston’s two All-Stars. This leaves an opportunity open for Smart to really prove his worth on the offensive-end of the floor, something he did in Games 1 and 3 so far in the NBA Finals.
The Celtics currently find themselves up 2-1 in the NBA Finals and in both of their victories, Marcus Smart has had an impact offensively. He may be the best defensive player in the league, but Smart’s value to this team goes way beyond his ability to defend one-on-one.
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