Inside The Celtics

Celtics Discuss Marcus Smart's Return to the Lineup: 'I Think We Missed Him a Lot; We missed His Joy'

Wednesday, Marcus Smart became the sixth player in Celtics history to register a 6/6/6/6 stat line.

Bobby Krivitsky

Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports
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Wednesday night, Marcus Smart returned from an 11-game absence, in which the Celtics went 6-5, suiting up for a 127-109 win over the Pistons in Boston's last matchup before the All-Star break.

Smart registered nine points on 4/6 shooting, seven rebounds, six assists, and he swiped a season-high six steals, matching Detroit's team total in the latter category.

Smart produced the first six/six/six/six game of his career, becoming the first Celtic to do so since 1990, joining Larry Bird, Paul Pierce, Rajon Rondo, Antoine Walker, and David Wesley as the only players in franchise history to generate that stat line.

There was an injury scare with 4:13 left in the third quarter, when Bojan Bogdanovic fell to the floor after banking in a shot from 15 feet while getting fouled by Malcolm Brogdon. Bogdanovic crashed into the back of Smart's legs, sending him to the hardwood. But Smart returned in the final frame, helping Boston put the finishing touches on Wednesday's victory.

"It feels like something was missing in my life," Smart expressed after the game. "So, it feels real(ly) good to be back out there with my team, my coaching staff and just the energy that we brought."

While discussing how much the Celtics missed their starting floor general while he was out, Joe Mazzulla conveyed, "I think we missed him a lot. We missed his joy. He brought a level of joy to the game tonight."

Brogdon, who delivered 25 points and six assists off the bench, said of Smart's impact, "huge. Defensively, I think it was clear. I think he made some tremendous defensive plays that really got us going. Helped turn the game around when they were getting momentum."

Regarding how comfortable he was returning Wednesday rather than waiting until after the All-Star break, Smart told Inside The Celtics the following.

"I was a little bit on the more comfortable side right away. I just wanted to go right into it early, and try not to really think about it, try not to baby it, try not to worry too much, and just go out and play. I think when you've got injuries that you come back from, and you do that, when you just go and play, it's better than trying to ease into it because now you're just focused on it and thinking about it a lot, and now it's starting to affect you.

"It felt good. A couple possessions where I was a little scared to try because of how fast a certain type of movement it was, but once I did it, it felt fine, and the confidence was there."

Smart also shared what he thought watching the offense while he was out, which he believes will help Boston on that side of the ball moving forward.

"We've got a lot of great talent and being able to keep the floor spaced. We have so much talent that sometimes we allow that to pick up some of the slack that we have, where things get stale, and we just feel like because we have so much talent, we can just go do it, and we shrink the floor on ourselves and make it a lot harder on ourselves. So, just really finding ways to make sure to keep the offense spaced and get great shots at all times."

Further Reading

Here's What Stood Out in Celtics' Win vs. Pistons: Hosts Don't Let History Repeat Itself

Tuesday's Near-Win for Shorthanded Celtics vs. Bucks Not a Moral Victory, But Boston Sees the Value of the Experience

Grant Williams Reportedly Seeking Contract In the $20 Million Annually Range

Jayson Tatum to Participate in 3-Point Contest at All-Star Weekend

Celtics Guard Wins NBA Player of the Week For First Time in Career After Massive Week

Mike Muscala on Celtics Debut: 'a Blessing, it was Fun'

Derrick White Discusses His Career Night and Matching a Celtics Franchise Record

Celtics Reportedly 'Engaged' with Several Potential Buyout Candidates

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Bobby Krivitsky
BOBBY KRIVITSKY

Bobby Krivitsky's experiences include covering the NBA as a credentialed reporter for Basketball Insiders. He's also a national sports talk host for SportsMap Radio, a network airing on 96 radio stations throughout the country. Additionally, he was a major-market host, update anchor, and producer for IMG Audio, and he worked for Bleacher Report as an NFL and NBA columnist.

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