The Boston Celtics had no competition in Game 1 of their first-round playoffs series.
The Atlanta Hawks tried but they couldn’t keep up with the C’s, who took a comfortable 112-99 win.
Besides Jaylen Brown’s 29 points, Jayson Tatum’s 25 and Derrick White’s 24, the Celtics had another big player on the court.
Marcus Smart was also playing at a high level, taking on the challenge of going against Trae Young.
After the game was over, White had some big words for his teammate, praising him for his defense.
Marcus Smart was in lockdown mode against the #Hawks#NBA #Celticspic.twitter.com/WK6mjcdBDv
— TheColdWire.com (@thecoldwire) April 16, 2023
“He just does things randomly that, it seems crazy but works. That transition block, the steal, were big plays for us. He seems to be in the right place at the right time his whole career,” White said
Even though he’s not the best scorer on the team, Marcus Smart always does the job.
He won his first Defensive Player of the Year award last season, helping the Celtics reach the NBA Finals in the process.
The task is difficult, as Trae Young is one of the best offensive players in the league.
However, the Hawks superstar couldn’t do much against Smart and co.
Young finished the game with 16 points, shooting 5-18 from the field and 1-5 from beyond the arc.
Smart recorded 11 points, seven rebounds and seven assists.
After playing in the Finals last season, the Celtics are ready to return this season.
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Brian Windhorst Makes A Bold Statement About Jaylen Brown
