Every point matters in the playoffs, but especially in Game 7. Late in the first half of Sunday’s matchup between the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks, Marcus Smart found an ingenious way to get his team three of them.
With time winding down on the second quarter, Giannis Antetokounmpo brought the ball up the floor but had to turn because was cut off by Daniel Theis. As he spun, Smart snuck in and knocked the ball away. That was a nice play on its own as it prevented the Bucks from getting a look at the basket, but Smart wasn’t done there.
He grabbed the loose ball and immediately went into a shot. As he did so, Giannis reached in and was called for a foul. The referees ruled it a shooting foul and gave Smart three free throws with 0.9 seconds remaining in the half.
Smart calmly knocked down all three free throws, which pushed the Celtics’ lead from two points to five at 48-43, while at the same time tagging Giannis with his second foul. In what has been a low-scoring series, those extra points could be the difference between who ends up advancing to the Eastern Conference finals.
It’s worth noting that the Celtics were already in the bonus so they would have gotten two free throws no matter what once Giannis fouled Smart. Still, it was a brilliant bit of quick thinking by Smart and a trademark moment for a guy who’s always looking to help his team.
