#marcus-smart

#marcus-smart

Tim Nwachukwu/Getty Images The Boston Celtics nearly pulled off an improbable comeback after being down 3-0 to the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, but a blowout loss in Game 7 ended the franchise's title hopes.The final game proved to be another in which the Celtics appeared to lack focus and intensity, which is reportedly something the team's best players had been plagued by since the All-Star break, according to The Athletic's Jay King and Jared Weiss.

The Boston Celtics have many difficult decisions to make if/when they are eliminated from the Eastern Conference postseason - mainly pertaining to figuring out which core members are expendable in a potential trade during the offseason.Boston only has Grant Williams' impending restricted free agency to sort out on the free agent side of the transactional equation considering the lack of usable cap space, so finding a trade is the only way for the team to meaningfully move the needle forward.

Celtics The Celtics have reportedly been active in trade talks.The Phoenix Suns seem to be interested in a couple of Celtics point guards.Malcolm Brogdon is a player the Suns have shown interest in so far in trade talks in the early part of the offseason, Yahoo!Sports' Jake Fischer reported.As the Celtics have reportedly been active in trade talks, Brogdon also appears to be one of the players most commonly involved in rumors.

After a disappointing end to their season, the Boston Celtics have some big decisions to make this summer.Well, sort of.Essentially they have one decision to make, it's just a big one.Do they continue forward with the same nucleus, or reshape the roster?Well, it sounds like the Cs have at least some interest in shaking things up.

The Boston Celtics could undergo a significant roster overhaul this summer as the NBA's new second tax apron kicks in.The harshest penalties kick in during the summer of 2024, but Boston must plan as Jaylen Brown enters the final year of his contract.The Celtics have to extend him or the two-time All-Star will be gone.

In a proposed 3-team megadeal that would give the Boston Celtics core a facelift, The Ringer's Brian Barrett sent away Jaylen Brown to the Magic and Marcus Smart/Robert Williams III to the Raptors to land Pascal Siakam, Markelle Fultz, Wendell Carter Jr, and Franz Wagner.Orlando would also give its two 2023 first-round picks to Toronto.

Jayson Tatum said he wants Jaylen Brown back.Brad Stevens "without a doubt" wants Brown to stick around.But at some point, the Boston Celtics have to look in the mirror and ask themselves the hard questions.If this group hasn't been good enough to win a title yet, what is going to change in the future?

Kamil Krzaczynski/NBAE via Getty Images Danny Ainge is now an executive for the Utah Jazz, but he spent years as president of basketball operations for the Boston Celtics, helping construct what is now one of the best teams in the NBA.Ainge's draft picks of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Marcus Smart have powered the Celtics to three Eastern Conference Finals appearances in the last four seasons, including a berth in the 2022 NBA Finals.

Celtics Grousbeck reportedly told the players that they needed to "play with some balls."After the Celtics dug themselves into a 3-0 hole against the Miami Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Celtics governor Wyc Grousbeck made an appearance in the locker room, according to The Athletic.

That was not how the Boston Celtics wanted to go out.Everything had lined up for them to make it back to the NBA Finals, including the eighth-seeded Miami Heat knocking off the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.Take down an injured Heat team playing above its head, the Boston is back in the Finals for the second season in a row.

With their backs against the wall in the Eastern Conference finals, the Celtics didn't have to look far for inspiration.Joe Mazzulla's team watched a documentary about the 2004 Red Sox when it found itself in a deep deficit at the hands of the Miami Heat.That memorable ballclub, of course, climbed out of a 3-0 hole against the New York Yankees en route to an American League pennant and World Series championship.

Before White emerged as a starting lineup reliable guard for head coach Joe Mazzulla, things were dicey.White joined the Celtics in a trade with the San Antonio Spurs last season and fell apart in the Finals against the Golden State Warriors.He couldn't buy a basket, shooting 32.7%.Left wide-open on enough to assemble a multi-minute compilation, White didn't rise to the occasion.

Celtics "It definitely left a lasting impact for me for not just this series, but throughout the rest of our career."With the Celtics mired in an 0-3 deficit against the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, Joe Mazzulla and his staff turned to a fan-favorite film in the Boston sports world in search of inspiration.

The Boston Celtics have nearly climbed all the way back from a 3-0 hole in the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat, and on Monday, May 29, will look to finish the job in an unlikely Game 7 at the TD Garden.Boston is only in this spot because of Derrick White's court awareness.Down 1 with three seconds left and a sideline inbounds opportunity, Marcus Smart heaved up a contested 3-pointer that spun around the rim but luckily in the direction of White, who was crashing the glass for a second opportunity - giving the Cs a second lease on life in the process.

Celtics White's buzzer-beater saved the Celtics' season.He made NBA history in the process.Derrick White had a putback for the ages on Saturday.It was also a historically rare feat.You likely know the story by now.But in case you need a refresher, White crashed the boards after his inbounds pass to Marcus Smart with three seconds left.

I can't speak to the exact feeling, but I imagine that the last three minutes of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference Finals between the Boston Celtics and Heat approximated the feeling of having a maximally invasive surgery with no anesthesia.Here's a non-exhaustive list of all the things I found myself doing during that stretch:
- Adjusting my position on the lucky couch cushion to maximize luck-boostPraying- Seeing my smart-watch inform me that it sensed I was stressed before asking if I was okay- Involuntarily screaming, "NO!!!" when anyone on the Miami Heat hit a three- Becoming legitimately afraid of Jimmy Butler- Began mentally writing this article about the loss after Jimmy Butler made three of the most clutch free throws I have ever seen, saying how... "It shall hence be known that Jimmy Butler is the greatest clutch performer who hast ever walked this earth.

Celtics "Omg that's my boy"
Derrick White stunned the sports world on Saturday.Right before the Celtics' season was about to strike midnight, White made a play that rivals some of the greatest in the history of the franchise.After inbounding the ball to Marcus Smart with three seconds left, White crashed the boards following Smart's shot.

Celtics Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Joe Mazzulla react to the shot that saved the season.Derrick White began the play as the inbounder, passing the ball to Marcus Smart for a contested 3-point attempt in the closing seconds of Game 6.
"I was passing it in," White said."[Gabe] Vincent was on me and he was up top denying [Jayson Tatum] so I couldn't get him the ball.

Celtics The Celtics reportedly smoothed things over at Topgolf after Game 3.



Feeling confused and frustrated after a blowout loss to Miami in Game 3, the Celtics met at Topgolf according to ESPN's Ros Gold-Onwude.Marcus Smart said the event helped lift the team's spirits, he told Gold-Onwude."He credited a team event at Topgolf Miami, where he said it was just the guys," Gold-Onwude tweeted.

Celtics "We believe, too."As the Celtics keep chipping away against the Miami Heat, comparisons to the 2004 Red Sox continue to grow by the day.The 2004 Red Sox, of course, famously overcame an 0-3 series deficit to outlast the Yankees in seven games and ultimately capture their first World Series in 86 years.

Celtics "Don't ruin the season off a bad week"



As the Celtics grappled with the realities of the 3-0 hole they put themselves in, one of Joe Mazzulla's assistants offered a bit of perspective.Boston cobbled together the NBA's second-best record over several months.Then they beat the Hawks in six games, and narrowly staved off elimination against Philadelphia with a Game 7 win.

The Boston Celtics find themselves down 0-2 to the Heat in the Eastern Conference Finals, and both of those losses happened on their home court.Even still, sportsbooks and the infamous ESPN Analytics - makers of the 3% chance Miami had to win before the ECF - find themselves favoring the Cs with the series shifting to South Beach.

The opening game of the Eastern Conference Finals was the kind of disasterclass that only the 2022-23 Boston Celtics can deliver: clearly outclass their opponent, in this case, the No. 8-seeded Heat, then coast in the second half so much that now the Cs are trailing.Boston never came back from a 46-point third quarter, and they now trail Miami in the series.

Celtics A brutal third quarter doomed the Celtics in Game 1, but these two stats didn't help.First of all, allow us to take this opportunity to remind Celtics fans to breathe.The Celtics lost Game 1 of the Eastern Conference finals to the Heat on Wednesday, falling 123-117.If we've learned anything about this year's Celtics team, we know that dropping a game is not the end of the road.

Celtics "We've got to come together and we've got to start helping each other out on both ends."As the seconds ticked off the scoreboard at TD Garden, the Celtics felt yet another win on home court slipping through their grasp.What was once a double-digit lead for Boston early in the third quarter on Wednesday was crumbling in a hurry thanks to Jimmy Butler and the Heat.

Celtics COMMENTARY"It was just almost like we were just playing a regular-season game.It's the Eastern Conference Finals."Joe Mazzulla and the Celtics didn't need to reinvent the wheel on Wednesday night.Each new season charts its own unique path.There are twists and turns aplenty.But trying to snuff out Jimmy Butler and the Miami Heat is akin to traversing the Bourne Bridge on Memorial Day Weekend.

The Eastern Conference Finals are upon us, with the Boston Celtics facing a familiar foe in Miami.Last postseason, the Heat took the Cs to seven games, but in 2023, things are expected to go much differently.According to ESPN Analytics, Miami has a 3% chance of upsetting Boston in the first round.With several key rotation players missing, the Heat have been able to rely heavily on Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo, and to a lesser extent, Max Strus.

Given recent comments made by Evan Fournier to the New York Post in which he questioned why the Knicks would bring the Frenchman back next season, Boston Celtics President of Basketball Operations Brad Stevens' decision not to re-sign the wing - which was the first major free agent decision Stevens made leading the C's front office - looks like a genius move in hindsight.

The Boston Celtics have reached a familiar refrain: Game 7 in the Eastern Conference postseason.In 2022, the Cs played Milwaukee and Miami en route to an NBA Finals appearance.Should Boston return to the Finals in 2023, it'll take at least one more winner-take-all affair, with Philadelphia taking three thus far in the Eastern Conference's No. 2-No. 3 second-round matchup.

Erin Clark/The Boston Globe via Getty Images Ahead of the biggest game of his young NBA coaching career, Boston Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla is getting the full trust of his talented squad.Mazzulla, 34, has Boston on the verge of a second-consecutive Eastern Consecutive Finals appearance in his first year at the helm.

Game 6 of the Eastern Conference semifinals against the 76ers was Boston Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla's finest performance in the HC role since he was unexpectedly thrust into it right before training camp in September 2022.Mazzulla's Celtics won 95-86 after carrying a deficit into the fourth quarter, and Jayson Tatum's 1/13 start turning into a 12-point outburst in the final four minutes was the main takeaway from the game.

With the Boston Celtics' season on the line for the second straight campaign, Jayson Tatum showed up when it mattered the most.As Jayson Tatum's idol, Kobe Bryant, once said, "The moment you give up is the moment you let someone else win."With the season on the brink away from home, Tatum embodied those words from his childhood hero during the most important win of the Boston Celtics season in Game 6 against the 76ers.

Celtics Cowherd suggested that the Celtics blow up their core and trade Jaylen Brown and Malcolm Brogdon.Things are not going well at TD Garden, with the Celtics down 3-2 to the Sixers in the Eastern Conference semifinals and on the brink of elimination.The way this postseason ends could have a significant impact on the franchise's future, with Jaylen Brown set to become a free-agent after next season.

Celtics Derrick White's contributions played into the Celtics' 110.6 defensive rating - the second-best mark in the NBA.After helping anchor one of the top defenses in the NBA this season, Derrick White is getting some well-deserved recognition.The 28-year-old Celtics guard was named to the NBA's All-Defensive Second Team on Tuesday, earning the most total points (99) among all Second-Team players.

Celtics Mazzulla let the Celtics play at the end.The end result was a loss.Joe Mazzulla let the Celtics play out two of their most important late-game possessions Sunday without calling a timeout.On the final one, Marcus Smart buried a potential game-winning 3-pointer, but the Celtics took too long to get the shot off and Philadelphia snagged a 116-115 win in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference semifinals.

NBA Analysis Network's James Piercey came up with a thought-provoking mock trade proposal that would bring frontcourt depth and a future first-round draft pick to the Boston Celtics in exchange for Malcolm Brogdon - which would then create playing time opportunities for Payton Pritchard.The frontcourt depth includes the return of Marcus Morris, who played for the Cs from 2017-2019, and Robert Covington.

Celtics Marcus Smart sank the potential game-winning 3-pointer, but the final seconds already ticked off the clock.It was too little, too late for Marcus Smart and the Celtics in Philadelphia on Sunday evening.With just seconds left on the clock in Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals, Smart nearly sealed a dramatic win for Boston by sinking a 3-point buzzer-beater.