Marcus Smart shines as Celtics stay alive in 2023 NBA Playoffs

Marcus Smart (Google Images)

The Boston Celtics faced elimination on Thursday. Trailing three games to two to the Philadelphia 76ers, Boston came away with their most important road win of the season, as they defeated Philadelphia 95-86 to force a seventh and deciding game at Toronto Dominion Garden in Boston, Massachusetts on Sunday.

It was an interesting strategy by Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla of Johnston, New York. The rookie bench boss only used seven players throughout the 48 minutes as only Boston’s five starters and two reserves got playing time.

All seven Celtics made contributions. Marcus Smart of Flower Mound, Texas, the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year winner, led the way for the Celtics offensively with 22 points. Forward Jayson Tatum of St. Louis, Missouri, who was selected to the All-NBA team for 2022-23 on Wednesday, had 19 points, Jaylen Brown of Marietta, Georgia had 17 points, guard Malcolm Brogdon of Atlanta, Georgia, the NBA Sixth Man of the Year in 2023, had 16 points, veteran center Robert Williams III of Shreveport, Louisiana had 11 points, guard Derrick White of Parker, Colorado had nine points in only 19 minutes, and Al Horford of Puerto Plata, Dominican Republic led Boston with 11 rebounds.

It will now be interesting to see if Boston’s strategy changes in game seven. It should be noted that the 76ers used seven bench players in game six, but their group of seven only scored 11 total points, with De’Anthony Melton having zero points in 24 minutes. In fact, the two Celtics bench players of Brogdon and White had seven more points than the 76ers bench combined.

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