Even Jimmy Butler had plenty of praise for Marcus Smart after Game 2 originally appeared on NBC Sports Boston
Jimmy Butler dominated the Boston Celtics and led the Miami Heat to a Game 1 win in the Eastern Conference Finals with 41 points.
Marcus Smart didn't let history repeat itself in Game 2.
Get New England news, weather forecasts and entertainment stories to your inbox. Sign up for NECN newsletters.
Smart missed the series opener with a foot injury, but he returned Thursday night and showed why he was voted the Defensive Player of the Year Award winner in a 127-102 win for the Celtics that evened the series.
Celtics Talk Podcast: Marcus Smart returns as Celtics embarrass Heat | Listen & Subscribe | Watch on YouTube
U.S. & World
The veteran point guard did a tremendous job defending Butler -- not letting the Heat star get to the rim easily, contesting every shot and preventing him from getting to the free throw line 10-plus times for the second consecutive game. The Heat shot 3-for-11 in Game 2 when Smart was the primary defender.
In addition to his excellent 1-on-1 defense, Smart grabbed nine rebounds, tallied three steals and blocked one shot. He was one rebound short of a triple-double.
"He's key to what they do over there on both sides of the floor, and for sure when he's making shots," Butler said after Game 2. "As a Defensive Player of the Year, night in, night out, taking that matchup and being able to play on both sides of the ball, that's crucial for them.
"He was a big part of them winning this game, along with Al Horford. Obviously, (Jayson Tatum) and (Jaylen Brown) do what they do. But they came out and willed that team to a win. You have to respect him and what he does."
Butler didn't play horribly by any means. He finished with 29 points on 11-for-18 shooting in 33 minutes. But he had to work hard for almost every point, and the Heat were outscored by 20 during his minutes.
The Heat need Butler to dominate if they're going to win this series. Butler scoring between 25 and 30 points each game probably won't be good enough. Milwaukee Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 33.9 points in the second round against the Celtics and it didn't matter because his supporting cast didn't produce consistently. Miami needs other guys to step up and help Butler, most notably Tyler Herro and Bam Adebayo.
With Smart back in the lineup, the odds of Butler giving another performance like he did in Game 1 are pretty slim. The Celtics point guard is the best perimeter defender in the league, and he will make life tough for Butler with his physicality and ability to contest without fouling.
