There were a number of reasons the Boston Celtics flipped the script on the Miami Heat in Game 2. At the top of the list is the return of Marcus Smart.

Smart played exactly like he had to make up for his Game 1 absence. He poured in 24 points and led the point of attack with 12 assists, nearly half of the Celtics' total as a team.

On the other end of the floor, he was an absolute menace on the defensive end. He led all Celtics starters with a +31 in plus/minus, showing a general picture of his impact that the team sorely missed in the opener.

After the game, Smart channeled his inner Bill Russell, quoting the Celtics icon with a message on repaying the team that put its trust in him.

“If you take a job and they pay you five dollars a day, give them seven dollars a day worth of work!” – Bill Russell

There was a lot of buzz about trading Marcus Smart prior to the season. After several years of floundering in the East, he seemed like the odd man out and the most obvious trade candidate. Instead, the Celtics signed him to an extension that locks him up until the 2025-26 season.

He went on and repaid their trust in full, leading the Celtics to the NBA's best defense en route to his Defensive Player of the Year win.

Marcus Smart isn't taking anything for granted. He's the heart and soul of the Celtics roster looking to break through with a title this season.