Marcus Smart notices hole in Milwaukee Bucks defense, Al Horford takes advantage

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Boston Celtics news: Marcus Smart notices hole in Milwaukee Bucks defense, Al Horford takes advantage





Posted on October 27, 2017 at 5:00 AM




Boston Celtics' Al Horford passes the ball while being guarded by Milwaukee Bucks' Giannis Antetokounmpo during the first half of an NBA basketball game Thursday, Oct. 26, 2017, in Milwaukee. The game was played at the UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, formerly known as the MECCA. (AP Photo/Tom Lynn)








By Jay King





MILWAUKEE, Wisc. -- Kyrie Irving and Al Horford were both great Thursday night while pushing the Boston Celtics past the Milwaukee Bucks, but owe a bit of their effectiveness to a wise adjustment from teammate Marcus Smart. 


The Celtics were trailing by four points late in the third quarter when Smart noticed an opening in Milwaukee's defense. On the weak side, the Bucks were sliding over to stop penetration without paying any attention to their own men. 


"They were just ball-watching," Smart said after his team's 96-89 comeback win. "Especially when Kyrie had the ball, everybody was attracted to him."


The next time Irving drove to the paint, Smart decided he would set a weak-side screen for Horford. Thanks to the wrinkle, the big man knocked down back-to-back 3-pointers, shoving the Celtics back into the lead. 


You can see how it worked here:

https://twitter.com/_/status/923729788149420032



The most obvious part of that play is Irving's obscene handle. Horford knocks down the shot. But there's Smart, facilitating it all with a back screen on Giannis Antetokounmpo. 


"I've really got to give all the credit to Marcus Smart," Horford said. "He just sees the game in ways that a lot of times we don't even see it, and he recognized that my guy was kind of falling asleep on the weak side. So he just told me, 'Hey, I'm going to screen for you, and just run off and shoot the corner 3.' You know, he got me open there on back-to-back 3's, and I felt like that was a big turning point in the game."

Explained Smart: "Al's a unique player that we have who can dominate from the inside and the outside. So as a guard it's our job to get him the ball. If he hits his first two shots you've gotta go back to him, so you've gotta find ways for him to get the ball. When Kyrie has the ball, he draws so much attention that on the back side, when you set screens, they're not even paying attention. They're so focused on the ball whoever has it, but especially when Kyrie has it. So my thing was if I screen and we get a switch, now he's got a smaller guard so now he's taking them in the post and I have a big on me. And if they don't switch then he's wide open to do whatever he needs to do. So he found his sweet spot to the corner and Kyrie found him."


Did the Celtics glide to an easy win from there? Not exactly. Ironically, Smart misused several possessions toward the end of the third quarter, racking up three missed shots and a turnover in a 2:14 span. That temporarily allowed Milwaukee to regain the lead, but Boston righted itself at the very end of the third before delivering a strong fourth. During the closing period, Terry Rozier emerged from a rough offensive start; rookie Semi Ojeleye came off the bench to make things difficult on Antetokounmpo; Smart delivered some well-earned trash talk to a Bucks rookie; Jaylen Brown tracked down a number of key rebounds; and, yes, Irving and Horford played like stars. 

They were Boston's two most productive players Thursday night by a sizable margin. Irving had his best game with the Celtics and Horford might have, too. The big man was ridiculously good while scoring 27 points (on 11-for-14 shooting), grabbing nine rebounds, dishing four assists, and playing a huge role in Antetokounmpo's quietest game this season.


That last sentence feels outrageous to write about a man who still managed 28 points, 10 rebounds and seven assists. Antetokunmpo's greatness was almost enough. It might have been if Smart had just failed to notice how the Celtics could pick on Milwaukee's defense. 



bob
MY NOTE:  Smart is smart.  Also, look the top photo, of Giannis guarding Al.  Look at how long Giannis, Al Horford is 6'10" and long himself and The Freak is all over him.



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Part of what made Giannis's game yesterday relatively quiet was that the 3s he hit at the end were in desperation mode. The Celts were already at the point where the Bucks had almost run out of time. They weren't points critical to the outcome of the game.