With the Boston Celtics trying to close out the Los Angeles Lakers in the final minute of overtime Tuesday night, Marcus Smart made an uncharacteristic move by abruptly leaving the game.
The veteran guard sure had a valid reason for doing so, which he revealed following Boston’s 122-118 overtime win over their rivals at Crypto.com Arena.
“I’m a little under the weather,” Smart told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. “I actually had to vomit. Didn’t want to ruin the floor. So, I got my butt in the back.”
It was only a momentary absence for Smart, who only missed a second of game action due to the Lakers calling a timeout.
Smart, like some of his teammates, was spent on the second night of a back-to-back, trying to put the finishing touches on a six-game road trip. The reigning Defensive Player of the Year played 42 minutes in the win, scoring 18 points on 7-for-17 shooting to go along with six assists, five rebounds and two steals.
Smart served a catalyst for Boston’s comeback bid, which took nearly everything out of him as the Celtics battled back after having a 20-point, second-half lead disappear and turn into a double-digit deficit.
“It’s a lot of traveling,” Smart said. “We’re playing these games back-to-back, day in-between. Your body takes a toll. And it’s around that time: flu (season), it’s December, it’s cold. So, for us, we’re just trying to do everything we can to stay as healthy as we can. … But we push it through and that’s all you can ask for.”
