There was bound to be rust for Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart to work through when he returned to court Wednesday night after missing 11 consecutive games due to a right ankle sprain.
But the rust never came to the surface for the Celtics' floor general, not even a microscopic particle of it.
Smart looked every bit of his usual self on both ends of the floor in the 127-109 win over the Detroit Pistons at TD Garden. He made an impact in several areas, stuffing the stat sheet with nine points, seven rebounds, six assists and six steals in 29 minutes.
"It felt like I haven't missed a beat," Smart told reporters, per the Celtics.
Smart certainly was thrilled to get back to game action and deliver a winning effort after being relegated to the sideline for nearly a month.
"It felt like something was missing in my life," Smart told reporters, per NBC Sports Boston. "So, it feels real good to be back out there with my team, my coaching staff and just the energy that we brought."
Smart's exuberance in coming back from injury right before the All-Star break was infectious for the rest of the team. In his absence, especially when his injury first occurred and the Celtics lost three straight games, it was clear that no other member of the team could fully replicate what Smart brings when he's on the court.
"I think we missed a lot. We missed his joy," Celtics interim head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters as seen on NBC Sports Boston postgame coverage. "He brought a level of joy to the game tonight. He brought a connectivity and a trust on the defensive end to where, because of the way he plays, it just breathes energy and everybody plays that way."
Having the reigning Defensive Player of the Year back was an obvious benefit for the Celtics, as it was on that end of the floor where Smart made his biggest impact.
Smart routinely made things difficult on Detroit's ball-handlers until they coughed up the orange sphere, helping the Celtics ultimately cruise to their league-leading 42nd win of the season.
"Defensively I think it was clear," Malcolm Brogdon told reporters as seen on NBC Sports Boston postgame coverage. "I think he made some tremendous defensive plays that really got us going. Helped turn the game around when they were getting momentum.
"We pushed the lead when he was in."
