BOSTON — Marcus Smart isn’t just a fan favorite, he’s a favorite in the locker room, as well.
The Boston Celtics guard, who is the longest-tenured member of a team that’s seen its share of turnover the last few seasons, has been known to get under opponents’ skin while still be a great guy to play with.
With 42 seconds to play Friday against the Atlanta Hawks, Smart hit a 3-pointer to effectively seal what became a 109-106 victory. Just before the horn, he also got into a brief dustup with Trae Young and Alex Len.
Following the game, Kanter was asked about Smart’s play down the stretch, and he responded with a ringing endorsement of his teammate.
“We should all feel blessed to have a teammate like him, man,” Kanter said. “Both ends he brings — not just on the court, off the court (as well) —Â he brings so much energy, so much toughness, bring so much (to) the table that we should all feel blessed to have a leader, have a teammate, have a friend like Marcus.”
Smart finished Friday’s win with 15 points, nine assists and six rebounds.
