Boston Celtics Marcus Smart on swarming defense on Kevin Love: ‘I love those types of challenges’

https://www.masslive.com/celtics/2019/11/boston-celtics-marcus-smart-on-swarming-defense-on-kevin-love-i-love-those-types-of-challenges.html



Boston Celtics Marcus Smart on swarming defense on Kevin Love: ‘I love those types of challenges’




Updated Nov 06, 2019; Posted Nov 06, 2019




Cleveland Cavaliers' Kevin Love (0) shoots over Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart (36) in the second half of an NBA basketball game, Tuesday, Nov. 5, 2019, in Cleveland. The Celtics won 119-113. (AP Photo/Tony Dejak)



By John Karalis | JKaralis@masslive.com





Marcus Smart thought it happened again.

“The oblique again," he said, describing the hit he took midway through the third quarter that left him prone in the middle of the lane. “The exact same one and it knocked the wind out of me.”

Luckily for Smart, and unfortunately for Kevin Love, that’s all it did.

“It was scary because I thought the same thing was about to happen that happened last year,” Smart said. "But thank God the oblique is stronger and it’s able to withstand hits like that so that’s good.”



Chris Forsberg

@ChrisForsberg_
Marcus Smart experience in a nutshell: Takes shot in kidney chasing a rebound, in obvious pain, but here comes Kevin Love again and pain is just gonna have to wait so Smart can defend.

Didn't get stop but another night with Smart taking on challenge of defending bigger player.

https://twitter.com/ChrisForsberg_/status/1191893134046830592

5:40 PM - Nov 5, 2019


Love scored on this particular play, but the heart Smart showed sent a message. A minute later, Smart, like a video game character who found some kind of power up that restored his health meter, pounced on Love and forced a turnover.

Most of the focus after the Boston Celtics 119-113 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers, for good reason, will be on Gordon Hayward’s career game. But just like he did in the Milwaukee Bucks game, Smart’s defensive brilliance was the perfect compliment to Hayward’s offense.

“What an effort by Smart on Love making him miss that last shot and throughout the game,” Hayward told reporters. "Making it tough on him. I’m just proud that we got the win.”

This is what Smart does. On a night where a teammate hits 17 of 20 shots, Smart has a similarly important impact that his eight points, five rebounds, and four assists can’t measure.

“I scouted plays for Kevin Love for a long time now, so I picked up on tendencies and I’m such a great defender that I believe in myself and I’m always going to go with myself a hundred percent of the time,” Smart said, describing how he shooed away a double team in an effort to guard Love himself. "It’s about pride at that point and you got to dig down. So I always call the double team off every chance I get and try to take care of it myself.”


He did, because he usually does. And he usually does because it’s a job he loves.

Kemba Walker has called Smart a Warrior so many times it’s hard to keep track. After a night like this, it’s going to be hard for Kemba to stop. Smart will always draw the tough assignment, whether it’s Steph Curry or Giannis Antetokounmpo. He’ll gladly defend anyone, which is why he calls himself a “stretch-6."

“I love those types of challenges, especially on a night like tonight," Smart said. “When I seen the matchup, I was excited for it.”

The guy he’s guarding probably doesn’t feel the same.

“They’ll put him on the top player on every single team... that’s what he gets paid to do,” Love said after the game. “He’ll guard anybody one-through-five and he’s a difference maker for their team.”



bob
MY NOTE: I forgot to mention Smart's defense on Love in the Post-Game Thread. He was getting Love to take mid-range turnaround fadeaway jump shots. Man, you cannot ask for more than that.



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