One of the most frightening in-game situations a player could find himself in is having to stop LeBron James one-on-one at the rim. Apparently, Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is not the type who’ll back down from such a challenge.
At one moment during the early goings of the fourth quarter of Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals at Quicken Loans Arena, Smart found himself playing the role of Boston’s last layer on defense just as when James was charging down the lane for what looked like an easy slam dunk for the four-time league MVP – or so he thought.
While most other players likely would have just stepped aside to give James his highlight, Smart mustered enough courage to meet The King midair, even winning the aerial collision by stuffing James’ shot.
It’s also worth noting that this was not the only high-impact play Smart has made in the game. Back in the first quarter of the contest, Smart hit teammate Jaylen Brown with a mind-bending, over-the-shoulder pass which Brown converted into a 3-pointer.
Smart has been an integral part of the Celtics’ surprising success in the playoffs with his great play on both ends of the floor. Smart entered Friday night’s game averaging 33.2 points on 54.7 shooting from the field with 8.8 rebounds and 8.8 assists per game.
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