MIAMI — There were only so many times this season the Celtics looked whole between injuries, COVID-19 and whatever else. That reality dawned on the C’s even in the postseason, where they missed Robert Williams III, Marcus Smart, Al Horford or whoever else depending on the game or series.
But Game 2 was different. The Celtics needed a response after they collapsed in Game 1, and they brought in reinforcements in the form of two veterans: Smart and Horford. The two additions were exactly the type of juice the Celtics needed as they demolished the Heat 127-102 on Thursday at FTX Arena to tie the series at 1-1.
“It was great to have the vets back,” Boston coach Ime Udoka said. “Obviously a calming presence there. Didn’t get off to a best start, obviously a little slow at the start but fought right back into it and after the first five, six minutes we held them down scoring-wise. But it was a good overall effort, bounce back.”
It was the Smart show — as it sometimes is — when he was on the court. He wasn’t efficient with his shots, but finished with 24 points, 12 assists, nine rebounds and three steals in a team-high 40 minutes. Of course, Smart’s impact can’t be seen just in the box score — his defense on Jimmy Butler and the Heat was noticeable. The Celtics were out-toughed in Game 1; that wasn’t an issue with their emotional leader back on the court.
Horford had a relatively quiet game compared to Smart, but he finished a perfect 4-for-4 from the field for 10 points, three assists and three rebounds. But having Horford back out there was huge for the Celtics’ defense: The big man is a huge piece of their defensive style.
“He’s an athletic long guy who can get out and switch on to those smaller, quicker guards, and it really keeps our defense compact,” Smart said. “It’s not really a mismatch that teams can really try to go after, especially with me and Al on the floor. That’s big for us. Al has always been big for us. He’s a great leader, he’s a great vet, and that’s what we expect from Al.”
Smart missed Game 1 because of a mid-foot sprain while Horford was in health and safety protocols. Each absence affected the Celtics in a different way as Udoka was forced to alter his rotation and minutes. And both Smart and Horford were forced to watch the C’s collapse in the third quarter of Game 1 as they weren’t able to do anything to help their teammates.
“It was difficult, just being there with the guys, supporting them, not being able to be there with them,” Horford said. “Obviously they have a great environment here, and that was the hardest part for me, not being able to be there for the guys when they needed me.”
There were the subtle parts of the game Thursday where Smart stood out. His 8-for-22 shooting leaves some more efficiency to be desired, but he was sparkling with just one turnover. There were plenty of question marks about Smart and his role as a point guard, but his 12-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio was a huge reason why the Celtics shot well Thursday. That’s on top of his defensive contributions.
Then there’s toughness aspect. In Udoka’s words, the Celtics got “punked” in the third quarter of Game 1. And part of that was because they didn’t have the league’s Defensive Player of the Year setting the tone like he always does for the team. But Smart was back in his chaotic ways, making life as difficult as possible for the Heat.
“As always, he sets the tone,” Udoka said. “Defensive Player of the Year for a reason. Ability to switch and switch on to bigger bodies and just another good defender to throw at (Jimmy) Butler, (Bam) Adebayo, some of those guys and not have to worry about them trying to pick on certain matchups.”
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