The Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers are set to square off on Sunday in the only Game 7 of the second round and only the second Game 7 of the NBA Playoffs thus far. The Celtics pulled off a major win on the road in Game 6 to avoid elimination and give themselves a chance to win the series in front of their home fans. One of the Celtics most dependable players this postseason has been Marcus Smart. Smart brings a brand of toughness and energy vital to the Celtics championship hopes. Ahead of Game 7, Smart likened the clash to Muhammed Ali vs. Joe Frazier as per Jay King of The Athletic.
Marcus Smart: "It’s Frazier and Ali. You gotta be ready. Those first couple of rounds, teams are feeling good, round one, round two, we’re feeling good, they're feeling good. Now it comes down, zero-zero, the last match, who’s going to win?"
— Jay King (@ByJayKing) May 13, 2023
Marcus Smart definitely did his part in Game 6 to ensure there would be a Game 7. He dropped a team-high 22 points, seven rebounds, seven assists and two steals. He shot 8-15 from the field and 3-4 from the three-point line.
Throughout the NBA Playoffs so far, Smart has been averaging 16.6 points per game, 4.2 rebounds, 5.2 assists and 1.3 steals with shooting splits of 46.6 percent shooting from the field, 36.4 percent shooting from the three-point line and 82.5 percent shooting from the free-throw line. Smart has certainly stepped his game up in the postseason compared to his averages of 11.5 points on 41.5 percent shooting from the field, 33.6 percent shooting from the three-point line and 74.6 percent shooting from the free-throw line.
For the Celtics to win Game 7 and advance to the Eastern Conference Finals for the second straight season, they'll need another big performance from Smart on both ends of the court.
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