Marcus Smart knows the Boston Celtics are the underdogs against the Brooklyn Nets in the playoffs, but for him, that's what makes them dangerous.
After all, underdogs who have nothing to lose and everything to gain bite the hardest.
“We know the odds are against us, we know what we’re up against. This isn’t our first time being up against a Goliath of this matter and being the underdog, so we just got to come out there and play; all the cards on the table, no holding back,” Smart said about the Celtics-Nets showdown, per Kristian Winfield of New York Daily News.
“At this point we have nothing to lose, so go out there and just have fun and do it.”
Smart is not wrong here. After struggling for much of the season and needing the play-in to secure the seventh seed in the East, there aren't much expectations for the Celtics. However, it is probably exactly what they want after making the conference finals in three of the previous four seasons and failing in all of them.
With less pressure surrounding them, Brad Stevens and Co. can simply focus on winning games.
Sure enough, the Nets are the favorites to come out of the conference for a reason. The names of Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden are enough to strike fear in any opponent, and having three of them is absolutely terrifying.
The Celtics are a talented team as well, but with Jaylen Brown missing the playoffs due to an injury, they will have to rely on Jayson Tatum, Kemba Walker and Marcus Smart? Can they beat the Nets? Well, they will certainly try to as they look to pull off the upset of the 2021 playoffs.
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