![]() “I couldn’t catch the ball the way I wanted to, I couldn’t get a grip and things like that.” “The one (in Game 1) was really digging into my thumb,” he said Wednesday before practice. But it’s clear the thumb splint has bothered Smart. One hot stretch could shove Smart right back to his regular-season numbers or even beyond them. Of course, four games constitutes a tiny sample size. That’s a mind-blowing number, even for him. Including all shots outside of the restricted area, Smart is now 3 for 25 (12 percent) during the playoffs. ![]() It’s not exactly groundbreaking news that Smart can have trouble tossing a round ball where he needs it to go. But he’s currently shooting 2 for 16 (12.5 percent) from behind the arc during the postseason, a far cry even from his lowly 30.1-percent regular-season mark. With him, Boston has scored just 101.5 points per 100 possessions, the team’s lowest offensive rating with anyone in Brad Stevens’ rotation. ![]() But the Celtics’ scoring efficiency has plummeted with Smart on the court during the postseason. Smart’s return still provided a noticeable lift in Game 5 of the Milwaukee series, and the Celtics have won two of their three games since. The master of winning plays has given his team’s defense new life since stepping back into the lineup, Smart also might be the only guard alive capable of soaring over Joel Embiid for an offensive rebound and an and-one putback. ![]()
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