Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart had a lot more to say during a post-game rant following a blowout at the hands of the Toronto Raptors. The All-NBA defender wasn't surprised his team is stuck in a rut, but rather shocked that something so unprecedented is affecting them this late in the season.
“Right now, it doesn't surprise me because that's just how things are going for us,” Smart said, according to ESPN's Kevin Arnovitz. “It surprises me in the fact that that's not who we are, but at this moment, it doesn't. We've just gotta fix it. Like I said, it's going to be fixed. It can and will be fixed. It's just not going at the pace we expected it to.”
Smart, who had five points, four rebounds, two assists and a steal in 24 minutes of action, was one of three starters held to single digits scoring, as the bench got the bulk of the run in a 118-95 demolition at the hands of the 45-17 Raptors.
Article Continues Below“That's the thing about this game,” Smart said. “You've got to have a short memory. This game's over with, and we've gotta focus on tomorrow and get ready to come out and play.”
The Celtics' best all-around defender put trust in his teammates to overcome this lack of synergy before the playoffs roll around, noting they all have the same goal in mind.
“Because everybody here's professional,” Smart continued. “Everybody here plays basketball, and everybody is really talented on this team. And I know the potential that we all have. So, it's just a matter of time.”
Boston has lost three straight games and is now 5-5 in their last 10 games, fortunate to boast wide gap ahead of the sixth-place Brooklyn Nets, but drawing themselves farther from the fifth and fourth spots in the East — positions that would prove imperative to a deep postseason run.