Marcus Smart completed the biggest defensive stop of his life to propel the Boston Celtics into the Eastern Conference Finals. In Game 7 of their East semis bout against the defending champions Toronto Raptors on Friday, Smart channeled his inner LeBron James and pulled off an incredible chase down block against Norman Powell.
With the Raptors only down two, 87-89, in the final minute of regulation, Powell turned on the jets and drove straight to the lane for a chance to tie the ball game. But the Celtics defenders recovered quickly, as Marcus Smart did not give Powell an inch of space and cleanly swatted the lay-up attempt.
MASSIVE block from Marcus Smart in the final minute of Game 7!pic.twitter.com/YV7N2KfUxK
— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPointsApp) September 12, 2020
That block single-handedly ended the Raptors' momentum and allowed the Celtics to run away with a 97-82 win in their grueling seven-game series. Apart from his ferocity on the defensive end, Smart also hit key shots in the fourth quarter for Boston. The two-time NBA All-Defensive First team member pitched in 16 points on 6-of-15 shooting from the field and 2-of-10 from deep, along with six rebounds, three assists, and one steal in 43 minutes. The Celtics will face the Miami Heat in the Conference Finals.
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