The Marcus Smart effect was in full force for the Boston Celtics in their second game against the Miami Heat. With the reigning Defensive Player of the Year back, the vaunted Cs defense got a lot stronger. While Smart's near-triple double caught all the headlines, one incredible stat proved his value to the squad.

Dan Greenberg noted an incredible Marcus Smart stat from the Game 2 win of the Celtics. He pointed out that the Defensive Player of the Year shut down Max Strus and Tyler Herro to just 0 points, while allowing just 10 points from star Jimmy Butler. All things considered, that's one hell of a performance from Smart.

Smart was the primary defender on Butler for most of the night, but the Celtics often utilized switches on their defensive schemes. Because of that, the DPOY was able to take a crack at the other Heat players, and he completely crushed them. Also, allowing just 10 points in 31 possessions is incredible, especially against a guy of Butler's caliber.

Smart also spoke out about why he loved guarding Jimmy Buckets, saying that:

“Jimmy’s a warrior, man. Jimmy’s been doing this a long time,” Smart said, via Jared Weiss of The Athletic. “… I love going up against Jimmy any time I can. As a defensive player, as a competitor, he’s going to make you work, he’s going to make you better.”

The Celtics now have the Heat exactly where they want them. The next two games of the series will be played on Boston's turf. Should the momentum from Game 2 continue, we might see them take a commanding 3-1 lead after their home stand.