The post “A Showman”: JJ Redick Puts Marcus Smart Alongside Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic After Game 3 Win vs. Rockets appeared first on EssentiallySports. Add EssentiallySports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The last two games of the series between the Rockets and the Lakers have shown why Luka Doncic went out of his way to bring Marcus Smart. The former Celtics guard has made winning plays. He was everywhere today, particularly in the moments when the Lakers desperately needed possession. He stole the ball, made the right reads, and became the heartbeat of their comeback win.
Head coach JJ Redick feels joy in having such a player in his arsenal. “I mean, he’s a winner. He makes winning plays,” said the Lakers head coach.
Smart was integral in the Lakers overturning a six-point deficit with just 25 seconds in regulation. He intercepted a pass and drew a foul while shooting the three. That set up the LeBron James game-tying shot at the end. There’s something about Smart’s presence on the floor. He doesn’t go on scoring tears, but his activity compelled JJ Redick to make a stunning comparison.
“We’ve talked a lot about guys like LuKa or Steph or LeBron being on the stage and being a showman. I think there’s an element with Smart of that as well. And I think it’s the competitive stage that he really craves and really thrives in,” JJ Redick said about the veteran guard.
For a second-straight game, Marcus Smart recorded 20+ points in the Lakers’ first-round series against the Rockets. As much as LeBron James has influenced the 3-0 scoreline, Smart’s imprints are all over it too. Aside from his scoring injection, the former Celtics guard added 10 assists and five steals tonight.
His hustle turns games around. And the way he does it brings out the ‘showman’. Smart is diving all over the place, poking balls away and is always in the right place at the right time. That’s an ability developed through years of competition. And Marcus Smart embraces the role of being a disruptor.
He’s been a real difference maker in this tie, as the Lakers are almost through to the next round.
The Los Angeles Lakers have done something imperious. Luka Doncic hasn’t played a single game. Analysts like Stephen A. Smith predicted the Purple and Gold would go home in the first round. Matters turned worse when Austin Reaves also picked up an oblique injury right before the playoffs. But the unit still had LeBron James and Marcus Smart to lead them.
Following their direction, they now have a 3-0 lead in the series. In NBA history, there hasn’t been a single instance where teams have managed to lose from such a position. By that metric, the job is done. But the mentality inside the Lakers is to finish things off, without taking the foot off the gas.
“For us, we’re just trying to have that killer mentality right now. We got them on the ropes and it’s our job to try to finish and their job to fight back. That’s been JJ’s motto all year, bend don’t break. I think we really took that to head for us, we lived it, instilled it in us, and you see that the way we played these three games. But we gotta be like a lion. We gotta have that killer instinct,” Smart said after his heroics in Game 3.
Houston isn’t going to let history dictate its mindset for the remainder of the series. They played a great game before crumbling in the final plays of regulation. They are wounded, but not out of it. The Lakers need to ensure they don’t get complacent after winning the first three games of the series.
The playoffs are a different beast, as you know. Anything can happen. But with Smart’s leadership inside the locker room, the Lakers have experienced a sharp mentality change. Defensively, they are disruptive and physical. That’s been the backbone of their success against a Rockets team that thrives with athleticism on their side.
Finishing the series early is a priority. It would allow Luka Doncic and Reaves additional rest, giving them a higher chance of returning for the next series. That could very well be OKC, a team that is at the mountain top of the Western Conference and has yet to lose to the Lakers this season. They will need all the rest and preparation time they can get.
So, even with a 3-0 lead, don’t expect the Lakers to turn timid. It’s going to be 48 minutes of effort and hustle with Marcus Smart setting the tone.