Jaylen Brown wasn’t the only member of the Boston Celtics to get into it with combative Philadelphia fans during Saturday night’s thrilling win over the 76ers at Wells Fargo Center.
Celtics veteran guard Marcus Smart was seen jawing with fans in the second half, but he told The Boston Globe’s Adam Himmelsbach prior to Monday night’s game against the New York Knicks that it was mostly playful trash talk between the two sides.
But that wasn’t everyone’s experience on the Celtics.
“I guess they were being a little disrespectful early on to Blake (Griffin) and some other guys,” Smart told Himmelsbach. “At one point (Jaylen Brown) was on the ground and a ball-boy was bringing him a hot pack, and a fan slapped it out of his hand and it landed on JB’s face.”
Smart had no issues engaging in the banter with 76ers fans and even revealed what he said to them.
“I was just laughing at them,” Smart said. “I basically told them, ‘You know what I do to people in the crowd. Everybody knows.’ I kind of say that and everybody usually shuts up. Everybody knows I’m not afraid to go in the crowd, and usually that cuts people off. But sometimes they do go overboard with it.”
Smart was referencing an incident from when he was in college at Oklahoma State in 2014. During a game against Texas Tech, he went into the stands behind the basket and forcefully pushed a Red Raiders fan.
The Philadelphia Inquirer reported four fans got ejected for how they acted toward the Celtics, and Smart said that wasn’t his intention.
“I wasn’t trying to get anybody kicked out,” Smart said. “You know me, I like the back and forth. I love the energy. But I guess there was more to it besides me.”
