Boston Celtics: 1 stud and 1 dud from C’s failed comeback vs. Warriors

Boston Celtics stud: Marcus Smart

Throughout his eight-year career, Marcus Smart has proven to be arguably the most polarizing player on the Boston Celtics, for one game he can either be one of the team’s biggest detractors or their most impactful players.

Friday night, his performance certainly proved to fall into the latter category as he managed to perform at the level in which many believed he would when coming into the season.

From familiar attributes such as his distribution skills and astounding hustle being on full display to his smart and efficient scoring touch, Smart’s impact was felt all over the floor against the Warriors.

In 35 minutes, the point guard found himself flirting with a triple-double by game’s end with an all-around stat-line of 19 points, eight assists, six rebounds, and a steal on 50 percent shooting from the floor.

His impact, in particular, was seemingly at its highest level during their second-half stretch, as we saw him put up eight points and four assists whilst diving for crucial loose balls and even managing to pull the game to within two when under five seconds left with a contested long-range hoist.

With a fully healthy roster — something the Cs obviously didn’t have on the night –, should Marcus Smart produce like this at a more consistent rate there’s almost no doubt that this team would find itself heading towards a much better place.