Marcus Smart had an underwhelming first half for the Celtics against the Bucks on Friday night, but he turned things around in the third quarter.
The guard dropped 12 points in the third, including, a pair of highlight-reel assists, in Boston’s 122-113 overtime win over Milwaukee at TD Garden.
Smart always has been feisty and never is afraid to say what’s on his mind, which probably is why head coach Ime Udoka referred to his player as a “spark plug.”
“He’s our spark plug,” Udoka said during an interview with ESPN, per the Celtics. “He’s the heart and soul of the team. He saw we were a little stagnant at halftime. He was down on our ball movement, so he took it upon himself — attacked the basket, got himself some shots, but also found other guys.”
Smart finished the game with 19 points, six rebounds and as many assists.
He and the rest of the Celtics look to keep the momentum going Saturday night when they take on the Cleveland Cavaliers. Tip-off is set for 8 p.m. ET.
