It’s not every day that an NBA player will hit five 3-pointers in a row in a game even if they are one of the league’s best shooters, and rarer still to pull it off in the middle of a pitched battle in the postseason.
And while Boston Celtics veteran shooting guard Marcus Smart has quietly morphed into one of the NBA’s best off-the-dribble 3-point shooters in the NBA despite being one of the worst in the history of the league earlier in his career, even he couldn’t have expected himself to nail five treys in a row against the Toronto Raptors Tuesday.
Asked if he was guarded differently than in the Celtics’ first round series against the Philadelphia 76ers in which the Flower Mound native shot a shockingly low 13.3% beyond the arc after Boston’s Game 2 win, Smart made it clear he didn’t think so.
Yesterday I looked at the best at catch-and-shoot 3's. Today, here are the best off-the-dribble 3P% shooters (100+ attempts):
M Smart, Redick 42%
Tatum, Bledsoe 41%
Lillard, Middleton, Bojan 40%Worst:
T Ross 25%
G Temple 26%
Dinwiddie 28%
Giannis 29%
Rozier, Beal 30%— Div B (@statcenter) February 27, 2020
“There’s no difference,” he explained.
“Last series against Philly, thank god for Jayson [Tatum] and Jaylen [Brown], who were really rolling, and so my touches on the offensive end were limited, which is okay since we are so versatile and talented, it’s going to be nice like that. It’s going to be nice when two or three guys, maybe one guy’s off but everybody else is on. So, I just had to do what I had to do. Let’s play defense and do all the little things I can do to help my team win.”
“Same thing this series,” he added; “just tonight, my team needed more scoring from me and I just brang it.”
After putting up such low numbers against the 76ers, it would be easy to shrink from shooting.
Celtics sneak by Raptors 102-99, take 2-0 East Semis series lead https://t.co/yD5AbiJp9o
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 2, 2020
But Boston needs Smart to step up in the absence of teammate Gordon Hayward — out for the series with a sprained ankle — nor is it in the Texan’s DNA to take his foot off of that particular gas pedal.
“I just kept telling myself all you need is one to go in, and you’d be right back there,” Smart opined, “and once I saw the first one go in, I knew that the next time I catch it, I’m shooting if I’m open.”
As his head coach has made a point of emphasis with the team, the Celtics will need to stay hungry and aggressive in their play if they are to defeat the reigning NBA champions despite being in a 0-2 hole.
It was, in fact, in the Raptors’ last postseason collision with the Milwaukee Bucks that they managed to recover from just such a deficit.
Stevens has praise after G2 win vs Raps, but cautions job isn’t done https://t.co/KM5isY08o0
— The Celtics Wire (@TheCelticsWire) September 2, 2020
“We have to continue to play desperate,” reiterated the veteran guard.
“We have to play like we’re down. We have to play games to win and not just not to lose. A lot of teams at this point play not to lose, instead of just being who they are. For us, that’s getting up into guys, playing good defense, and moving the ball on offense.”
It would be easy to get complacent riding a two-game lead in any series, but champions take care of business, and celebrate when the season is over.
And at least up until this point, it’s looking like he Celtics have no intention whatever for celebration until they’ve logged another 10 wins.
[lawrence-related id=41346,41339,41326,41318]