Can Marcus Smart carry his Game 6 heroics into a pivotal Game 7?

Marcus Good’s 22 factors, seven assists, seven rebounds, and two steals don’t mark any postseason profession highs. However there’s a sound argument that Good’s Sport 6 efficiency, in his one centesimal playoff recreation as a member of the Boston Celtics, was his most respected efficiency but.

When the Celtics’ offense wanted Good — and at occasions, it desperately wanted him — the veteran guard delivered. When the protection wanted a jolt of power, Good got here by. Boston in all probability wouldn’t be enjoying on Sunday with out his heroics.

“He received the tempo going for us from begin to end,” stated Joe Mazzulla postgame. “He did a fantastic job of conserving us poised, and he was the quarterback of our protection — him and Rob. When Good can dictate the tempo like that and get us into offense and get us into spacing and simply play with that stage toughness — it was contagious.”

The most important storyline getting into Sport 6 was Boston inserting Robert Williams III into the beginning lineup and reuniting the two-big tandem with him and Al Horford. However the transfer was dangerous; with Derrick White headed to the bench, Boston was sacrificing a capturing menace to assist set the tone within the opening minutes of play.

Good’s manufacturing spacing the ground shortly went below the microscope. On this early possession, he’s used twice as a screener because the Celtics examine Philly’s defensive coverages on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum. When Tatum sees Tyrese Maxey serving to on his drive following the dribble hand-off, he kicks it out to Good for an open nook three.

It’s a miss — however we see Good sign to Tatum and acknowledge the profitable course of. The 76ers constantly left him in favor of containing Boston’s stars, and Good knocked down 3 of 8 triples in response. Two have been kick-out threes however in several conditions, and the beneath make was the results of Good hustling to present Tatum an outlet in transition.

Good has canned a red-hot 12 of 18 nook threes within the postseason, and whereas we are able to’t predict his streakiness, he ought to proceed to shoot these with confidence as a result of the alternatives will pop up once more on Sunday.

Joel Embiid has constructed an inside fortress for Philadelphia on this collection. Embiid nonetheless received his three blocks in Sport 6, however Good confirmed a formidable willingness to assault the MVP on drives.

With Williams’ elevated lineup presence, Embiid needed to suppose additional concerning the lob alternatives. It allowed Good to drive proper on the 7-footer and end with floaters and layups.

And if Embiid did chunk on the drive, Good didn’t hesitate to toss the ball up:

Along with Good’s half-court success, he added a transition layup and two assists to that earlier nook trey, and gave a much-needed jolt to Boston’s quick breaks. The Celtics added greater than 5 factors per 100 possessions to their effectivity with transition play, a wholesome quantity when contemplating the pacing lulls that may strike this group.

Then there’s the protection, which may merely be outlined as fight artwork.

Good had the 2 steals swooping in as a helper. However a few of his finest work got here with no field rating tally mark with stuff like this effort to problem an Embiid entry move, resulting in a turnover:

Good doesn’t get box-score credit score for this, nevertheless it’s a outstanding cease. Philadelphia loves Embiid in these empty-corner moments the place he can rating 1-on-1 or make performs in response to a double-team. Good fronts him and goes to work denying that entry move, to the purpose the place Embiid is virtually within the restricted space and in place for Al Horford to assist. It’s a tremendous show of pure effort to make the 76ers uncomfortable.

Additionally, how about this high-motor rotation to run Georges Niang off the three-point line, even after Good will get beat on the preliminary drive from Tyrese Maxey:

Or this deflection stemming from well timed assistance on an Embiid roll to the basket, or this spin transfer to navigate a display screen and contest Harden, or this drawn cost (thanks @NElGHT_ for posting all these clips!).

This was a signature defensive effort from Good, who did all the things he might to remove the Sixers’ advantage-seeking makes an attempt. His postgame quotes echo that mentality.

“We don’t need to get off this courtroom saying, ‘I ought to have completed extra. I might have completed extra,’ after which we’re pissed at ourselves,” he stated. “We received to go on the market, and it’s received to be a dogfight. You bought to be able to scrap. You bought to be able to bleed. You bought to be keen to take a shot to the face, to do no matter it takes to win.”

Sport 7 will once more put Good’s resolve to the take a look at. He wants to fireplace away on these catch-and-shoot makes an attempt no matter a sizzling or chilly streak, proceed attacking the basket and leveraging the gravity of his teammates, and muck up Philly’s gameplan along with his defensive exercise.

Celtics followers shouldn’t fear about Good bringing depth on Sunday. So long as it flows by the precise channels, he can once more be a catalyst in a do-or-die playoff ambiance.