LaMelo Ball made Marcus Smart, a premier defender, look silly a few times Monday night.
Ultimately, though, it didn't matter. And for Smart, that's all he cares about.
The Boston Celtics snuck past the Charlotte Hornets 140-129 in overtime. Smart and Ball were going back-and-forth throughout the second half and into overtime, with Ball ultimately finishing with 25 points.
Ball made some plays, like he tends to do, that will turn heads. But Smart, while acknowledging how good of a player Ball is, also couldn't help but through a little shade.
"It happens," Smart said after the game, via MassLive. "Like I said, it happens. I'm a defender. Just like a shot blocker, you are going to get dunked on a few times. All he did was make a good move and stopped. I was out there struggling my damn stuff.
"As we know, the player I am, I'm going to make up for it and I did it twice. We came out with the win and that's all that matters. He's going to get all the Overtime, House of Highlights, Sportscenter and all that, but we got the win and that’s all that matters."
The Hornets-Celtics game was a delightful watch between two teams on the rise, but they won't meet again until January.
