That Marcus Smart considers defense the key element of what got a team coached by Ime Udoka past the Boston Celtics ought to come as no surprise. The Flower Mound native (8 points, 4 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals) said as much after a revenge game of sorts with the Houston Rockets vs. his former ball club on Monday (Nov.2) night, the Rockets stifling Boston's offense under star forward Jayson Tatum to the tune of 109-93.
"It allowed us to just keep bodies in front of bodies," saidSmart of Houston's defense. "Boston does a really good job of exploiting the help and making you pay for it ... and making you be confused with the actions that they're running off the ball and opening up lanes."
"So to be able to keep a body in front of somebody definitely
helped, stopped a lot of things, stopped a lot of fires," he added. "And having (Alperun Sengun) be able to do that definitely helps us."
And speaking to the energy he brought in the contest vs. the Celtics, Smart was direct in sharing his motivations. "You always want to do good against your former team and show them that you still can go out there and do what you do," he said.
"So, it definitely felt good; (the) energy was there. They know what I can do – and I reminded them again tonight."
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This article originally appeared on Celtics Wire: Marcus Smart on how defense, old wounds fueled Rockets win over Boston Celtics
