Blake Griffin never entered the game for the Boston Celtics on Monday night, yet was still critical in the team's comeback win against the Oklahoma City Thunder. His help didn't come in the form of playing time, but rather a piece of advice he gave to Celtics point guard Marcus Smart.

When Jayson Tatum was struggling offensively and the Thunder were scoring at will, Griffin advised Smart to keep attacking. Since he's usually guarded by a subpar defender — as opposing defenses often focus on Tatum and Jaylen Brown — the reigning Defensive Player of the Year knows he can sometimes get to the basket easier than his teammates.

Smart commented on that privilege after the game and explained how Griffin wanted him to utilize it.

“Me getting in the paint does a lot of great things. It's not just for me, but for the team. It goes back to Blake telling me, ‘Keep being aggressive, take the shot that they give you and sometimes that means that you have to take that shot.'”

With Griffin's instruction in mind, Smart drove to the hoop repeatedly in the second half. He even iced the game with a tough layup with only 37.8 seconds remaining.

That bucket and Smart's 22 total points closed the Celtics' home victory against an offensive-minded Thunder squad that once led by 15 points. Boston never backed down even when its brightest stars were struggling, as players like Smart, Payton Pritchard and Derrick White helped the team escape claw back from a late-game deficit.

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As for Griffin, he never got the opportunity to see the court, however his veteran leadership has clearly paid off for the Celtics. The chemistry between he and the rest of the team seems right, and it's translated to a lot of in-game success, as the Green Team sits atop the Eastern Conference with an 11-3 record.

Tomorrow they'll hit the road to play Trae Young and the Atlanta Hawks, who are just two spots behind Boston in the standings. Hopefully with a little Marcus Smart magic, the C's will extend their winning streak to eight games.