Category: Marcus Smart

1 sleeper Celtics must target in 2023 NBA Draft

June 1, 2023

After a 2022-23 campaign filled with high hopes and disappointment, the Boston Celtics are officially in the offseason.

They were a game away from extending their playoff run into the NBA Finals for the second year in a row, but an embarrassing Game 7 performance against the Miami Heat ruined any chance at redemption. Following another year without raising Banner 18, the C’s will now have some important roster decisions to make in the coming months.

But, before any monumental moves are made, the Celtics have the 2023 NBA Draft on the horizon. The big day takes place on Thursday, June 22 and while Boston only has one pick in the second round, this year’s playoffs have shown that elite talent is everywhere. The Celtics will have the No. 35 pick and hope to strike gold late in the draft like the Denver Nuggets did when they found two-time MVP Nikola Jokić:

There are already a few projected picks Boston could make that might work well, but who’s someone that could come out of nowhere? Here’s one sleeper in the 2023 NBA Draft that the Celtics should target with the No. 35 pick.

UCLA’s Tyger Campbell is the 2023 NBA Draft sleeper the Celtics need to target

Point guard Tyger Campbell was a four-year starter for the UCLA Bruins who can bring a lot to the table. Although he’s just 5-foot-11, he was an essential part of a perennial tournament team and has guard skills that should translate to the NBA.

Partially due to his size, Campbell plays much more like a true point guard than most guys coming up in this year’s draft. He averaged 4.9 assists per game over the course of his college career and always had a knack for facilitating. The Celtics have former Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart as their primary ball-handler, however, he’s never really been a complete passer.

Last year, the C’s drafted JD Davison to add some point guard depth and he even played limited minutes in a handful of games. The Alabama product seems promising, yet Campbell is more careful with the ball and arguably a better scorer. During UCLA’s 2022-23 season, he put up 13.4 points per outing while averaging just 1.6 turnovers. In Davison’s one and only year of college hoops, he averaged a whopping 2.9 turnovers per game and just 8.5 points. While in the G-League, Davison stepped up his scoring but still had the same unfortunate rate of 2.9 turnovers per game. For a Celtics squad that’s struggled with turnovers and bad ball handling, someone more like Campbell could be of use.

Davison aside, Campbell is also a decent defender in spite of his stature. He averaged 1.1 steals per game over four years and can disrupt passing lanes in a similar manner to Smart. Plus, it’s not like the Celtics haven’t utilized smaller guards before, as they had a fair amount of success years ago with two-time All-Star Isaiah Thomas leading the team.

Even though Campbell isn’t on a lot of draft boards, other NBA teams have shown interest in him. The Los Angeles Lakers are of course connected to UCLA, and they hosted him for a workout on Tuesday.

Another UCLA Bruin in Jaime Jaquez Jr. could fall to the Celtics as well, but there’s a much higher chance of Campbell being available at No. 35. Still, Jaquez is a skilled 6-foot-7 big who can score, shot block, and rebound at a high level. If Campbell isn’t likely, Jaquez could be a solid option for the C’s as veteran center Al Horford ages and forward Grant Williams ponders free agency.

Either way, Celtics fans have a right to be disappointed in their team’s finish, yet that doesn’t mean the draft can’t be exciting. Good players come from all rounds of the draft, and perhaps Campbell could be the right diamond in the rough for Boston.

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2 trades Celtics must make to win 2024 NBA Finals

May 30, 2023

The Boston Celtics quest for history fell apart in crushing fashion on Monday night in Game 7 of their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Miami Heat. Faced with a chance to become the first team to overcome a 3-0 series deficit in NBA history, the Celtics crawled their way to a 103-84 loss, officially eliminating themselves from postseason contention.

While the Celtics do deserve some credit for fighting their way back in the series, the end result is wildly disappointing. Boston was heavily favored to beat Miami entering the series, and even entering Game 7. But they came out with a pretty awful performance when faced with a chance to punch their ticket to the Finals and make history in the process, and that will now set the stage for what could be a chaotic offseason.

After another deep playoff run that failed to yield a championship, it’s clear the Celtics need to change things up this offseason, and pretty much all the cards will be on the table. Boston has some big trade assets to work with, so if they want to bounce back and finally win a championship next year, let’s look at two trades they need to make.

2. Trade Marcus Smart for a two-way frontcourt player

Entering the season, it was clear that the Celtics had a bountiful amount of guard depth, with Malcolm Brogdon being brought in to play behind Marcus Smart and Derrick White. This trio was solid for the season, but given how their campaign just ended, chances are all three of them won’t be back next year.

Smart had an up-and-down postseason for Boston (as did the entire team, really) but it feels like his time with the club has run its course. Brogdon was obviously playing injured for pretty much the entire Heat series, but White was probably the C’s second best player behind Tatum. When everyone is fully healthy, it’s tough to justify starting Smart over both Brogdon and White.

Boston still has Payton Pritchard on their bench behind these two, so moving Smart to pick up a two-way frontcourt player to bolster that area of their rotation is key. Whether it’s another wing player to come in behind Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, or a power forward/center hybrid to potentially replace Grant Williams, there are avenues to use Smart to improve this team.

Smart’s grit and heart are obviously huge for the Celtics, but White and Brogdon are simply superior players. Smart’s defense took a step back this season, and when he’s not making game-changing plays on that end of the ball to counteract his absurd shooting, it’s tough to give him minutes. Freeing up bigger roles for White and Brogdon should be a goal, and moving Smart would ensure that happens.

1. Trade Jaylen Brown for another star player to pair with Jayson Tatum

This is the big one. We have seen the Tatum and Brown duo try to win a title for quite some time now, and they continually cannot break through to do so. Brown was awful against the Heat, and after he couldn’t step up to take over for Tatum, who suffered a pretty debilitating ankle injury on the first possession of the game, it’s become painstakingly clear that Brown is not what this team needs to win a title.

Trading Brown is largely necessary because of the $295 million supermax deal he can attain. Chances are Brown won’t settle for anything less than that, and after this series, there’s no justification in giving him that sort of money. If that’s what it comes down to, trading Brown is what the team needs to do.

The most appealing option would be to trade Brown for another star, but finding a player who is a straight up match for him is tough. The top name many fans have looked to so far is Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers, but other potential names to keep an eye on in this area would be guys like Bradley Beal, Mikal Bridges, and maybe even Anthony Davis depending on what the Los Angeles Lakers decide to do this offseason.

The other option would be to bring in younger talent in exchange for Brown. Another deal being discussed, also involving the Trail Blazers, would see them give the C’s the third overall pick in the draft and Anfernee Simons in exchange for Brown, with the third pick likely being used on Scoot Henderson or Brandon Miller. It may not be the most straightforward path, but Simons has shown potential to become a superstar player, and adding the third overall pick in this talented draft class could be a big win too.

Unless Brown is willing to accept a significant pay cut on an extension this offseason, the Celtics need to trade him in order to avoid potentially losing him for nothing next offseason. There are several avenues to consider here, but it’s clear the duo of Tatum and Brown cannot win a title, which is why moving on from him this offseason makes the most sense.

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Celtics guard Marcus Smart reveals painful reality of Jayson Tatum’s early injury in Game 7

May 30, 2023

Every single year, it seems like the playoffs devolves from a battle between some of the best teams in the NBA to a war of attrition. The Miami Heat, in particular, know this all too well, as they lost Tyler Herro and Victor Oladipo to injuries in this postseason run alone. Meanwhile, the Boston Celtics, amid stretches of shaky postseason play, have gone through the playoffs mostly unscathed.

But everything changed for the Celtics in the first possession of their Game 7 tussle against the Heat, just when they were on the precipice of becoming the first team to ever come back from a 3-0 series deficit. After only 26 seconds have elapsed in the winner-take-all Eastern Conference Finals matchup, Jayson Tatum turned his ankle on a layup attempt over Gabe Vincent, hampering the effectiveness of the Celtics’ best player.

Tatum tried his best to power through what clearly was a painful injury, but as Marcus Smart acknowledged in his postgame presser following the Celtics’ season-ending 103-84 defeat to the Heat, this was simply a part of the game that, heartbreakingly, they have no control over.

“Obviously, you can see he wasn’t himself. He wasn’t as explosive. The ankle was really killing him. He tried to fight, it just didn’t go in his favor,” Smart said, per ASAP Sports. “But it’s part of the game. Certain things you can’t control and getting hurt like that is nothing you can control. So, it just happened at the wrong time.”

There were no guarantees either way that Marcus Smart and the Celtics would have won had Jayson Tatum remained healthy throughout Game 7. But one would think that the Celtics would have had a much easier time solving the Heat’s stifling zone defense if they had Tatum playing at his best.

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Celtics guard Marcus Smart reveals his favorite Game 7 ahead of Heat matchup

May 29, 2023

Marcus Smart has played in a lot of Game 7s. In fact, so have most of the Boston Celtics starting lineup. Of all active players in the NBA, Al Horford has the most Game 7 wins with seven, while Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart sit in a tie for second with LeBron James with six. Jayson Tatum has five.

Ahead of the Celtics latest do-or-die clash with the Miami Heat, Marcus Smart was asked which of the plethora of Game 7s in which he’s been involved was his favorite. His answer made it very clear where his focus currently lies.

“This one. This one is tonight. Unfortunately we put ourselves in a bad situation but tonight we have an opportunity to right our wrongs.”

Marcus Smart has played in many great Game 7s already in his career, one of the most exciting of which came in this exact corresponding matchup last year. With the Heat and the Celtics once again locked at 3-3 in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, that decider went down to the wire, with the Heat staging a late comeback and very nearly snatching victory from the jaws of defeat. The Celtics staved them off that time around, with Smart playing a major role with 24 points (albeit on 8-22 shooting), nine boards and five assists. But clearly, he’s not thinking about that game.

Smart has been unusually potent offensively over the past couple of games, averaging 22 points on nearly 52% shooting in the past two wins and going 8-19 on threes. If he can repeat that kind of performance, it will go a long way to solidifying this as the most significant Game 7 of Smart’s career.

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Celtics’ Marcus Smart sends message before Game 7 vs. Heat

May 29, 2023

It is still difficult to believe that Marcus Smart and the Boston Celtics are about to play Game 7 of the 2023 NBA Eastern Conference Finals despite going down 0-3 in the series against the Miami Heat. But that’s where the Celtics are and they definitely are going to go all out as they look to come away with the ticket to the 2023 NBA Finals — and a historic victory.

Ahead of their Game 7 showdown versus the Heat at TD Garden, Marcus Smart sent out a message that echoed the maxim the Celtics have lived by since after they lost Game 3.

“Just don’t let us win tonight. That’s it,” Smart said hours before the highly anticipated finale of this series (via Jared Weiss of The Athletic).

Marcus Smart, who starred in college for the Oklahoma State Cowboys, also gave a bit of a shoutout to his alma mater.

Smart has been among the chief reasons why the Celtics are finally playing like the heavy favorites they were heading into this series. He has scored a total of 44 points and shot 51.9 percent from the field and 47.1 percent from behind the arc over the last two games. The Celtics are hoping that he remains hot on offense, while also still being locked in on the task at hand over at the other side of the floor, as Boston looks to stymie Jimmy Butler and the Heat with some help from what should be a loud pro-Celtics crowd.  So far in the playoffs, Smart is averaging 15.2 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.1 assists, and 1.3 steals per outing.

 

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3 most important Celtics players not named Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown for deciding Game 7 vs. Heat

May 29, 2023

Since the early stages of this year’s Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Miami Heat, history has constantly been on the cusp of being made.

From the once very real possibility of things ending in a sweep which, conjoined with the Lakers’ four-game exit against the Nuggets, would have made it the first time in which both conference finals finished in such a fashion, to Miami’s potential to become just the second eighth seed to reach the NBA Finals, round three of the 2023 NBA Playoffs has been adrenaline filled from the jump.

Now, things find themselves reaching an even higher level of excitement, as Boston has gone on to work their way back from an 0-3 hole to force Monday’s Game 7, and, should they win, they’d become the first team in NBA history to accomplish such a remarkable feat.

Now, though heading into the contest the Celtics find themselves viewed as favorites to punch their ticket to the championship round and square off against Denver, many things still have to go their way and many players need to step up in this winner-take-all elimination game.

While the usual suspects of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown are expected to put their best foot forward and produce as the All-NBA stars that they are, in order for the Celtics to pull out what would be a storied victory in Game 7, Joe Mazzulla is going to need three contributors, in particular, to step up big for the club.

Boston Celtics player No. 3) Al Horford

Al Horford may no longer be the All-Star and All-NBA selectee that he once was during his prime, but his leadership has seemingly never been more impactful for his respective clubs than it has been since returning to the Celtics last season. This has only continued to shine through amid adversity during this year’s playoff run.

Even with his admittedly regressed on-court efficiency and counting-stat production, from his energy and hustle on the floor to holding his teammates accountable on the sidelines, the 36-year-old’s sheer presence on this roster has been captivating, and they’ll need his guidance and influence to keep the C’s sights set on their goals and to not have their focus shift.

Deemed by Jayson Tatum as being someone who “is so important to what we are trying to accomplish as a team,” be it in the form of knocking down key jumpers, providing crucial defensive contributions, or serving as a vocal leader, in Monday’s affair, Al Horford will be needed in one way or another for Boston to have a chance at advancing.

Boston Celtics player No. 2) Marcus Smart

Throughout his nine-year tenure with the Boston Celtics, Marcus Smart has managed to establish himself as the most polarizing figure in recent franchise history. To some fans, he’s a beloved and cherished member of the organization. To others, he’s an inconsistent headache whose bark is bigger than his bite.

However, regardless of how one views the defensive-minded veteran, in Game 7 Smart will prove to be a vital part of the affair’s ultimate outcome.

Playing the game’s most important position, the 29-year-old holds the keys to Boston’s offense as their starting point guard. In such a role, his impact while leading the charge throughout this year’s playoff run has been evident, both from a positive and negative perspective.

In this series alone, the difference in his efficiency and productivity in wins and losses has been eye-opening.

During the first few games that saw the Celtics fall 0-3, Marcus Smart was sporting highly underwhelming averages of 9.3 points, 7.3 assists, and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 35.0% from the floor and 30.0% from deep while sporting a plus-minus rating of -24.

However, over their last three outings where they’ve managed to stave off elimination and, in turn, ended up evening the series at 3-3, he’s been incredibly efficient, as he’s dropped averages of 18.3 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists, and 2.3 steals while shooting 47.4% from the field and 42.3% from deep and registered a plus-minus of +25.

During their Game 5 showing when they last played on their home floor, right from the jump Smart was seemingly on a mission to help guide his team to a win, as he collected the first of his five steals on the opening tip that led to a Jayson Tatum fastbreak score and, in turn, set the tone early in favor of the Celtics.

With history on the line, expect the club’s floor general to yet again come storming right out of the gates.

Boston Celtics player No. 1) Derrick White

As was the case last season following his trade-deadline arrival in Beantown, Derrick White has once again proven to be a pivotal member of the main rotation for the Celtics. Outside of his heroics in Boston’s magical Game 6 triumph, the veteran has been willing to do just about anything throughout this year’s postseason in an effort to help his team win.

Now, with Sixth Man of the Year Malcolm Brogdon’s continued health issues, White will be needed to pick up the backcourt slack on both ends of the floor in a major way.

In wins during the postseason, the veteran guard has easily been one of the club’s main contributors, particularly on the offensive side of the ball, as he’s sporting impressive averages of 15.1 points on 52.3% shooting from the field and 48.5% shooting from distance.

In games where he’s posting 15 or more points, the Celtics are 6-1. In Games where he’s dropped 12 or fewer points, the team has gone just 4-7.

Now, with Brogdon still hobbled and, thus, lacking any real offensive difference-making abilities, the Celtics are going to need yet another high-scoring affair from the likes of Derrick White to have their best chance of advancing to their second straight NBA Finals.

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How Celtics got to brink of NBA history with miraculous comeback vs. Heat

May 28, 2023

Marcus Smart warned us. Jaylen Brown did, too. Somehow, some way, the Boston Celtics’ green heart is still beating—and they needed every tenth of a second to stay alive. With their miraculous 104-103 victory over the Miami Heat, the Celtics finds themselves on the brink of NBA history by becoming the first team ever to complete the most impossible of comebacks and overcome a 0-3 series deficit in the NBA Playoffs.

Derrick White was the man of the moment for Celtics Nation after his heroic tip-in salvaged Boston’s season to force a Game 7 at TD Garden on Monday. White’s game-winner left the entirety of Kaseya Center in utter shock, as they saw the Heat’s 3-0 Eastern Conference Finals series lead vanish into thin air.

So, how did Jayson Tatum and the Celtics, in fact, get it done? How did they get to the precipice of NBA history with their miraculous comeback versus the Heat? Let’s take a look.

Game 4

For all intents and purposes, the Celtics looked absolutely dead in the water after that 26-point beatdown the Heat gave them in Game 3. Miami looked ready to finally put the nail in the coffin when they went up 56-50 at the half of Game 4.

And then, Boston found life in the third quarter. They outscored Miami 38-23, went 14-of-23 from the field and connected on seven of their 12 three-point attempts in that period.

More importantly, Tatum made his presence felt. The Celtics superstar rediscovered exactly who he claimed to be: humbly, one of the best basketball players in the world.

Tatum dropped 14 points in that period, going 6-of-8 from the field and draining two triples. He finally found the rhythm he had been longing for throughout the series, especially since he just came off a horrible 14-point dud in Game 3, when he shot just 6-of-18 from the field and 1-of-7 from deep.

That momentum carried into the fourth, where Tatum scored 11 points to close the deal and keep the Celtics alive. He finished with 34 points in Game 4, with 25 coming in the second half.

Game 5

Going back to a raucous TD Garden crowd, Boston proceeded to steamroll the Heat en route to a 110-97 win. There’s no other way to describe this than a good old classic Beantown Beatdown.

The final score wasn’t really indicative of how Boston dominated the game. Four Celtics players scored at least 20 points, led by Derrick White’s 24 points and Marcus Smart’s 23 points. Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown both tallied 21 points, with the former putting together an all-around game with eight rebounds and 11 assists.

As a team, the Celtics finally found their rhythm. They went 16-of-39 from beyond the arc, with White and Smart combining for 10 triples. More importantly, the No. 2 rated defense that dominated the regular season was back. They were in Miami’s passing lanes throughout the night, tallying 13 steals and forcing Miami to 16 turnovers.

That leads us to Game 6…

Game 6

Honestly, this has to be up there in shortlist of craziest NBA Playoff games of all time.

The Celtics were actually in control of this game throughout and looked well on their way to Game 7 with a comfortable victory. They led by six points at halftime and entered the fourth quarter with a nine-point lead. They essentially had Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo in jail, holding them to just 5-of-28 shooting after three quarters.

Then, Boston almost blew it—several times, even.

They left Heat sharpshooter Duncan Robinson wide open twice within the last two minutes. They were certainly fortunate that those shots did not go down, or else we would probably be talking about a Denver Nuggets-Miami Heat NBA Finals right now.

Still, holding a precarious two-point lead with 16.2 seconds left, Boston’s season was hanging by the thinnest of threads. Then Al Horford fouled Jimmy Butler on a three-point shot attempt to put the Heat superstar on the foul line for three shots.

Despite struggling with his shot throughout the game, Butler came alive in the fourth quarter, leading his team’s charge with 15 points. Butler made all three free throws to give the Heat the lead with one game-sealing stop separating them from the NBA Finals. The Celtics were essentially on life support, three seconds away from flying back to Boston, not to play a Game 7, but to book at trip to Cancun.

With one final hurrah, Marcus Smart sprung free for a tough three on the left wing. The shot went in, and then out. In that moment, time stopped for just split second. And that split second was all they needed. Derrick White flew in to bank in the tip-in. The officials reviewed it. The Celtics were miraculously still alive.

More alive than ever and gearing up for another potential doozy in Game 7 in Boston.

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3 takeaways from Celtics’ buzzer-beating Game 6 win vs. Miami

May 28, 2023

The Boston Celtics were on the verge of a potential season-ending collapse in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Miami Heat, but one shot from Derrick White erased all that.

After going up nine points with 2:44 left in the fourth quarter, the C’s were in prime position to close out the contest calmly. However, if you’ve followed the Celtics at all this season, you probably know that they have a knack for making simple things extremely convoluted.

Following some clutch shots (and free throws) from Miami star Jimmy Butler, Boston was all of a sudden down one with three seconds remaining. The series was on the line, and when Celtics veteran Marcus Smart missed a deep 3-pointer with one tick left on the clock, it looked finished.

Instead, White swooped in for a buzzer-beating putback that capped off the chaotic 104-103 win.

While the madness from Game 6 might still be lingering, Boston will now focus on its second Game 7 of the 2023 playoffs. They’ve become one of just four teams to tie up the series after going down 3-0, yet none of those other three teams were able to take Game 7. However, none of those teams were home, and the C’s will be when Game 7 tips off in Beantown on Monday night.

But before we discuss Game 7, let’s break down Boston’s stunning Game 6 victory with three major takeaways.

3. Boston’s defense mostly kept them in control

For much of the season, the Celtics have been bolstered by an effective offense that made up for their defensive flaws.

In Game 6 though, the offense wasn’t clicking in the second half. The C’s were turning it over frequently and missing on tons of triples, as they went an abysmal 7-for-35 from beyond the arc. Usually, a combination of bad 3-point shooting and double-digit turnovers would be deadly.

Yet, Game 6 wasn’t a normal night. The Green Team’s defense led the way for most of the game, and even though they couldn’t force many turnovers, they were making life difficult for the Heat offensively. Boston had eight blocks to Miami’s four, which helps outline how well the Celtics were defending the paint. If you need any further evidence, just watch center Al Horford’s block on Heat big Bam Adebayo:

Miami was hot from deep, however, it was cold everywhere else. Within the arc, the Heat went a brutal 19-for-63 (roughly 30.1%). While Miami’s stars were missing some open looks, the C’s applied solid defensive pressure on Butler and Adebayo. From the field, they went a combined 9-for-37.

The Celtics will need an even greater defensive effort for Game 7, as they can’t rely on Miami’s best players being that ice-cold again.

2. Celtics show they can grind it out

The Heat often live for gritty, gutsy showdowns like Game 6. They’ll wear you down for three quarters and then strike late with clutch plays. Conversely, the Celtics have struggled in closing situations, and that was the case once more on Saturday night.

Despite their flaws down the stretch, the C’s displayed that they can grind out a win if they have to. It was far from pretty, but when Miami was storming back and seemed to have the game wrapped up, Boston responded.

Rather than becoming overwhelmed by the Heat’s lead and the raucous Miami crowd, the Celtics honed in and put their resiliency to the test. For their efforts, they were rewarded with a second-chance bucket and a do-or-die Game 7.

Ideally, the Celtics won’t be in that situation again. However, it’s good to know that they’re capable of winning games in multiple ways, and not just when they’re connecting on all of their shots.

1. Derrick White the hero

Since the Celtics traded for Derrick White, the former San Antonio Spurs guard has been a huge asset. He struggled in last year’s playoffs and the 2023 Eastern Conference Semifinals, yet he’s looked more like himself against Miami.

He’s shooting over 58% from the field, over 55% from deep, and averaging 13.7 points per game. Plus, he’s been getting it done defensively as well, as he’s tallying an impressive 1.2 steals and 1.5 blocks per outing. The second-year Celtic has been the team’s third star, and he proved it in Game 6.

In spite of all the buzzer-beating festivities, the Celtics still have plenty of work to do. The Heat will be hungry to avenge last year’s Game 7 loss and avoid being on the wrong side of NBA history, while the C’s will try to accomplish a comeback no other squad ever has.

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Celtics star Marcus Smart wants you to put more respect in Derrick White’s name after Game 6 heroics vs Heat

May 28, 2023

Derrick White made headlines on Saturday night after he saved the season for the Boston Celtics in their Game 6 encounter against the Miami Heat. With their entire playoff run on the line, White came up big for the Celtics, tipping in what turned out to be a game-winning shot at the buzzer.

After the game, Boston talisman Marcus Smart was asked to share his thoughts on White’s heroics in Game 6. At this point, the former Defensive Player of the Year is demanding more respect for his Celtics teammate:

“I’ll tell you one thing: If you don’t know who D-White is, you know who he is now,” Smart said of White. “That dude has been phenomenal for this whole, whole year. … It’s been a joy to watch and a joy to be on the court with.”

Derrick White isn’t exactly a household name, but there’s no denying that his popularity just skyrocketed after his massive effort on Saturday night — especially for the Celtics faithful.

It wasn’t just his last-second bucket that helped the Celtics live to fight another day, though. White had his fingerprints all over Boston’s season-saving Game 6 win, finishing with 11 points, four rebounds, six assists, a steal, three blocks (!), and zero turnovers in 42 minutes of action. The 6-foot-4 combo guard also drained three triples in this one to round out what was a truly memorable performance for him.

All the momentum is now on the Celtics’ side as they head back to Boston for Game 7. Can they actually do it? Can the Celtics be the first team in NBA history to come from back from a 0-3 deficit to win a best-of-7 series?

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Marcus Smart reveals Celtics’ topgolf secret that fueled 2 straight wins vs. Heat

May 28, 2023

With their backs against the wall, Marcus Smart needed to find a way that would keep the Boston Celtics in high spirits despite being down 3-0 to the Miami Heat in this year’s Western Conference Finals.

The Celtics were at their lowest point, and Smart said that the team was “confused and frustrated.” That’s when the team decided to group together at Topgolf Miami to regroup emotionally and hopefully get some energy back if they wanted to mount a comeback.

To those who don’t know, Topgolf is a popular entertainment complex that features a golf course with climate-controlled bays, a restaurant and bar, and a variety of games and activities. The golf course is open year-round and features microchipped golf balls that track your accuracy and distance. The restaurant and bar offers a wide variety of food and drinks, and the games and activities are perfect for all ages. Whether you’re a golf enthusiast or just looking for a fun night out, Topgolf is the perfect place for individuals and teams alike.

It certainly worked. The Celtics went on to win Games 4 and 5, leaving the Heat a little flustered and trying to play with a little more desperation this Game 6.

The message Marcus Smart had for the team was to “trust each other, believe in each other.” “If we’re gonna do something special and try this comeback- we’re gonna have to believe in each other,” per Ros Gold-Onwude. 

The Celtics are hoping that their secret weapon at Topgolf will help them to win Game 6 and tie the series 3-3.

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