Smart stupidly tried to close out a last second three point shot with no time on the clock to end the first half and fouled Redick costing the team 3 points.
Then in the first minute of the 2nd half he stupidly tried to start a fight with Embiid over a nothing no call, got kicked out of a game where the Celtics were already shorthanded with no Hayward and no Baynes in the second half and cost the team two more points.
The team was up 14 at the time. Philly had no life in them whatsoever. They were dead in the water except for Embiid. But the Smart push bred life back into Philly, shorthanded the Celtics and turned the game around into Philly's momentum advantage.
Smart lost this game. In less than 70 seconds of game time, his blatant stupidity cost the Celtics 5 points they otherwise wouldn't have given up and got himself kicked out of the 2nd half.
BUT PEOPLE ARE TALKING ABOUT BROWN'S FREE THROWS BEING A PROBLEM!!!
I don't get it.
But the Embiid thing was worth it. Imho.
I do think the team relies too much on Smart's hustle plays. The Celtics need another guy who gets after it. Too much general passivity from Tatum, and too much occasional passivity from Brown.
The defensive guy in the draft Thybulle, or someone like that. We need a bench version of Smart. Or even another starter.
No one on the current Celtics comes close to Smart's level of effort.
The Reddick foul was not a smart one...but at least he's trying his arse off and flying all over the court. Who else can say that on this team? Takes more than one guy doing stuff like that.