Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young sat on ground at half court and used his index fingers to point to each side of his skull almost to say, “What the expletive are you doing, Marcus?!”
It might be the only time in history Green Teamers and Young have shared a common thought.
The Marcus Smart rollercoaster that Celtics fans routinely ride was at its most infuriating Tuesday night during Boston’s Game 5 collapse at TD Garden. Smart’s usage down the stretch played a major role in the Hawks’ run that ultimately propelled Atlanta to a 119-117 victory and prolonged the best-of-seven series.
With the Celtics leading the Hawks 111-105 and 3:26 remaining in the contest, Smart checked into the game for Derrick White after a turnover by Jayson Tatum. Atlanta proceeded to outscore Boston 14-6 from that point forward. And Smart’s contributions to the blown lead were glaring.
— Smart turned the ball over on his first offensive possession, a bad pass attempt to Tatum, which Young converted into a 3-pointer on Atlanta’s ensuing possession.
— With the Celtics’ advantage cut to 113-111 and less than two minutes remaining, Smart committed a head-scratching offensive foul as he set a moving screen on Tatum’s defender. It marked Boston’s third turnover in a matter of 1:34 and his second in three possessions. Tatum received a technical foul on the next Atlanta possession and Young converted three consecutive free throws to give the Hawks a one-point lead.
— Undoubtedly the throw up on top of the cake, though, was Smart’s foul on Young immediately after Atlanta inbounded the ball at half court. It came as the Celtics clung to a 115-114 lead with 15 seconds left, after Boston got stops on the previous two possessions when the Hawks missed each of the previous two shots. Smart reached when Young dribbled, and ultimately poked the ball free. The former Defensive Player of the Year then dove for the loose ball, but clearly took out Young’s legs and forced the guard to crash to the floor. (That’s when Young insinuated Smart was playing out of his mind, which was fair.) Young, an 89% free throw shooter who was 3-for-3 at the charity stripe to that point, converted the ensuing two free throws with Atlanta in the bonus at the time of Smart’s foul. They gave the Hawks a 116-115 advantage with 15 seconds left.
Smart was not involved in Boston’s next offensive possession or Young’s 30-foot game-winner with Jaylen Brown the primary defender.
This breakdown isn’t to say Smart was the only reason behind Boston’s incredibly frustrating defeat. He wasn’t. But he was among them. And now Smart and the Celtics will have to shake it off and get ready for Game 6 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta on Thursday night.
Of course, nothing would portray the Marcus Smart rollercoaster quite like an awe-inspiring performance in the close-out game. We’ve seen it before, after all. But it nevertheless remains anyone’s guess as to which Smart will make his mark.
