The Boston Celtics won on a dramatic buzzer-beating layup in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference quarterfinals Sunday, and they can largely thank Marcus Smart for that.
Smart made an incredibly heads-up play on the Celtics’ final possession, setting up Jayson Tatum for the game-winning layup. With Boston down one in the final seconds of the game, the ball found itself in Smart’s hands. First, the guard faked out two Nets with a pump fake, then stepped through them to get wide open with roughly two seconds left.
Most players would take the open shot, and Smart probably would have been justified in doing so. Instead, he unleashed a perfect pass to Tatum, who spun past Kyrie Irving to beat the buzzer with a game-winning layup.
JAYSON TATUM SPINS TO THE WIN AND HITS THE #TissotBuzzerBeater TO LIFT THE @CELTICS TO THE 1-0 SERIES LEAD #ThisIsYourTime pic.twitter.com/gJfZolPV8i
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2022
That play easily could have fallen apart in a couple places, but Smart made the magic happen here. His effort, particularly his selfless decision to pass up what could have been an open game-winner, deserves a ton of credit.
If Game 1 was any indication, the Celtics and Nets are poised to stage a great series. That is not even taking into account the side drama between Irving and Boston fans.
