He was part of a collective effort that held the reigning scoring champion to 5-for-20 shooting.
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Defensively, Smart was a constant pest on Westbrook, who posted a game-high 27 points but on inefficient 5-of-20 shooting.
“He had a good game”, Westbrook said. Eighty-two games. I do this. “Don’t get it twisted”. He had a good game.
Well, what won’t get twisted is the fact that Smart was the one who did “it” Sunday night, and he did it right on Westbrook’s home court.
Russell Westbrook may not want to admit it, but a new rivalry may be forming between him and Celtics second-year guard Marcus Smart.
“That’s the type of guy that Russ is”. You put two guys like that going against each other, obviously you’re going to knock heads.
Though the Celtics don’t often win out west under these conditions – or haven’t since an entirely different cast was on the roster – on the basis of sheer defensive passion they made a difference in last night’s 100-85 win against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
“He likes this gym”, said Boston coach Brad Stevens, referring to the 25-point game Smart produced last March in Chesapeake Arena. Guard Isaiah Thomas scored 19 points and handed out eight assists as the Celtics improved to 5-4 on the season. Boston shot 48% and outrebounded the Thunder, 47-34.
Forward Serge Ibaka was the only other Thunder player to score in double figures, finishing with 16 points and 10 rebounds. OKC, wearing its alternate orange uniforms, actually led this game by seven at halftime and by two after the third quarter, but the sun set on the Thunder in the fourth. Instead, Boston rallied to take the lead 74-72 heading into the final quarter.
Paul Millsap had a season-high 28 points for the Hawks, but failed to hit the rim on a three-point attempt in the final minute and missed a 12-footer at the buzzer.
Charlotte responded with an 8-0 run, getting two free throws each by Walker and Batum and two baskets by Jefferson to push the lead back to double digits in winning its third straight home game. The Celtics never lost control from there. Smart scored 25 points – his previous career best – in Oklahoma City last season and seems to get a boost from playing in front of familiar faces.
“It’s definitely frustrating”, he said. He responded by saying, “There’s 82 games I do this”.
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After checking in at the 5:14 mark of the fourth quarter, he immediately got back into the action. “I’m working my tail off every day to get back, and my teammates have been holding it down”. When asked if there was anything special about the way Smart played, Westbrook responded with a resounding “No”. “I think his offense has really improved”.
