Marcus Smart played an important role in the Eastern Conference semifinals having huge winning plays throughout the series.
One of those plays was his big chase-down block on Norman Powell during Game 7, where the Celtics came up on top to advance in the EC Finals.
“That block is funny, because as soon as Norman caught the ball, instantly I remembered last game where that exact same play he came at me full-court and got the and-one,” Smart said, per USA Today Sports.
“So when he caught the ball in my mind, I’m like ‘he has to dunk it, I’m not going to give a foul, I’m just going to meet him up top, and we’ll see who wins that battle.'”
“I’ll bet on myself 110% of the time – I’m First Team on defense for a reason, and I believe in that wholeheartedly,” Smart continued.
The Celtics are bound to face the Miami Heat in the EC Finals with Marcus Smart’s grind being incredibly crucial for their success in what is expected to be a tough matchup.
