Getty Marcus Smart watching on from the sidelines against the Toronto Raptors.
With 11.4 seconds remaining in the fourth quarter on November 6, the Boston Celtics were tied with the Dallas Mavericks coming down the stretch, with enough time for one final offensive possession. Unfortunately, Marcus Smart failed to read the room and gave up a foul on Luka Doncic, essentially costing the Celtics one final offensive possession.
Coming into this game, the Celtics were on a two-game winning streak and were looking to finish their road trip 3-0 before enjoying a few days’ rest. However, a Doncic step-back ensured the Celtics lost this tightly fought contest.
Despite head coach Ime Udoka taking the blame for Smart’s foul in a November 7 media conference, many on Celtics Twitter failed to be as understanding.
Don’t understand the intentional foul by Marcus Smart.
Shot clock was in the Celtics’ favor to get it back. Why?
“On top of the bad foul to give on Doncic, he also missed Boston’s final shot with 30 seconds left while trying to draw a foul on Porzingis, throwing up an unneeded low quality shot since Boston was already in penalty,” wrote MassLive Celtics reporter Brian Robb.
“Only Marcus Smart could make the huge 3 with 2 minutes left to give the Celtics the lead while then also having the two plays that helped lose them the game,” Dan Greenberg of Barstool Sports wrote.
@ChrisForsberg_ After botching the endgame for the Celtics, Marcus Smart is being punished. His punishment is that he will have to wear the Jersey of Shame during the next home game.
Smart’s performances have been under increased scrutiny since he chose to call out Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after a recent loss to the Chicago Bulls, something which is still fresh in the minds of Celtics fans worldwide.
Celtics Twitter Reacts to Smart’s Missed Shot on Porzingis
Thirty seconds remaining on the clock, the game is tied at 104-104; the Mavericks trap Tatum on the strong-side wing. Tatum reverses the ball, and the Celtics hit a flurry of quick passes to find Smart open in the corner.
Kristaps Porzingis, the 7-foot-3 big man, quickly closes out on Smart, who then drives the ball before attempting to draw a foul on a poorly executed floater. The NBA’s new rules about non-basketball movements have limited the success of players jumping into their defender for a foul, and Smart’s attempt was equally unsuccessful.
With nine seconds remaining on the shot clock, and Tatum sinking into the weakside corner for the kick-out pass, fans were perplexed at Smart’s decision to try and draw the foul call. Especially after his comments earlier in the week about making the correct basketball play. “There’s only so much I can do without the ball in my hands,” Smart said after the Celtics’ loss to the Bulls.
Well, with the game tied up, and only 30 seconds remaining on the clock, Smart had the ball in his hands and ultimately made a poor decision, causing Celtics Twitter to air their frustrations.
“All of Marcus smart’s ‘hustle plays’ … mean NOTHING when he shoots a bad shot trying to draw a foul in a tie game!! Soooooooooooooooooooo done with this guy. Last name is not fitting,” one fan wrote.
“The Marcus Smart experience” is something many Celtics fans have come to love or loathe, and against the Mavericks, they were treated to the full range of Smart’s abilities and limitations. However, it’s becoming increasingly clear that Smart’s recent comments to the media have placed his own game under the microscope, and currently, he’s not fairing well because of it.
Celtics Twitter Is Split on Smart’s Value
Some sections of the fanbase are still incredibly supportive of Smart and what his skill-set brings to the table, while others are frustrated with what they perceive as consistent low-quality shots and poor decision making.
Smart has been at the center of Celtics debates for a while now. After his recent comments and poor performance in the final minutes of the Mavericks game, the conversation is boiling over into social media.
“I love marcus smart, i love rooting for him, i love when he does something insane even when it fails,” wrote one fan. “But if the rest of the team is out on him then i don’t really know what to do.”
LOVE AND TRUST!!!!!!!
While this may be the eye of the storm for Smart, it may also be the beginning of the end for his Celtics tenure. Calling out your team’s star players in public has a way of exacerbating your own shortcomings, especially in a market like Boston, where sports is a way of life.
Smart will have a few days rest now before returning to the court against the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday, November 10, where he will be looking to redeem himself after some questionable decisions in what was ultimately a two-point game down the stretch.