Boston Celtics: 2 unsung studs from redemption win over Miami in Game 2

Boston Celtics stud No. 2) Marcus Smart

You literally couldn’t tell the story of Thursday night’s game without saying the name Marcus Smart at least one thousand times.

Simply put, he was that important in the C’s series-tying victory.

After missing Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals (you know it absolutely killed him that he couldn’t be out there with his guys), the newly minted Defensive Player of the Year proved that his absence (as well as Al Horford’s, of course) was easily one of the main reasons why Boston got embarrassed on opening night and let up a 22-2 run that let Miami take hold of the momentum in the second half.

In a postgame interview after Game 2, the point guard labeled himself as being the “cooling effect” for this team, stating that, when on the floor, he’s there for when things get a little too ‘spicy’ and need to be reeled back, and this outing, particularly in the third (that dreaded third!!), showcased the type of influence his presence can have on this team.

Registering a team-high 40 minutes played, Smart finished things out with a near triple-double of 24 points, 12 assists, and nine rebounds to go along with one steal and one block on 5-of-12 shooting from deep, while also dropping 17 points in 18 minutes during the final two periods to help maintain a comfortable lead that, at times, looked to be on the verge of collapse similar to the turnout in Game 1–this, once again, showed just how vital the veteran is to this team’s successes.

A tremendous two-way performance on the night, Marcus Smart was without a doubt the heart and soul of the team’s series-tying win in Game 2 and, if he can produce like this moving forward, Boston’s chances of reaching their first NBA Finals in over a decade will only increase.