INSTANT REACTION: Marcus Smart returns to Boston, Celtics dominate Grizzlies

INSTANT REACTION: Marcus Smart returns to Boston, Celtics dominate Grizzlies

Oh my goodness say it was really good defense I know it’s like I don’t know if you can play better defense and that was all nylon welcome in Celtics post game live Scout Chris forsberg Amina Smith here with you the Celtics dominate the Memphis Grizzlies 131 to 91 and guys it

Looked a little shaky in the first half the Grizzlies they were Within but then this Celtics scene they took off late in that second quarter Scout what was your biggest takeaway after this win Tatum’s a bad man yeah he is I mean he was out

There it seemed like I I could go five more levels up and I’m still dominating with a almost 30o triple double so yeah he was he was tough today it was just like he realized at one point Midway through that first half okay I’m just going to dominate for the next you know

Few minutes put this game away he was great got porzingis involved with the passing I love the play making that’s what Jason Tatum can do 34 points for Jason Tatum also eight rebounds and seven assists he’s with Abby chin after this win Jason before the game in the locker

Room you asked Marcus Smart if he was going to cry during that tribute video I feel like he held it together what were the emotions like for you having him back in the building uh it was great it was great to see the reception that he

Got uh you know being here for 10 years he was hard and soul of you know this organ ation uh and people showed their respect and love today uh he deserves it he deserves it all so uh it was just good to see him you know obviously I

Missed him uh so it was just really good to see him that Ovation just now for Marcus as he walks off the floor what does it mean to you to see the way that the fans here react to him and and his return it’s only right man he like you

Said he gave his Blood Sweat and Tears every single night um he left it all on the floor he was a huge part of the success that we had for so many years years uh so you know I say I say all the time for for the longest time he was he

Was by for sure the favorite Celtic um on our team and rightly so uh so it was good to see him get the love that he deserved I think it’s only fitting that defense is what won you guys this game what do you feel like that starting

Group got back to um you know regardless of who was out right they had a lot of guys out you know we just tried to focus on us today and uh you know we didn’t want to get caught up and maybe playing down to the competition or whatever you

Know we wanted to come out here and show them Respect by playing the right way and playing hard and competing on both ends of the floor Jason thank you congratulations congratulations Jason Tatum talking about the love and respect that all the Celtics fans inside of TD Garden have for Marcus Smart today as

You see him walking off of the Court after this 40o win against the Memphis Grizzle and Jason T bought up a great point right there Scout that he said regardless of who was on the other end and we joked about about it in the pregame show because the Memphis

Grizzlies they had 12 players on the injury report he said we had to go out there and play our brand of basketball how did Jason Tatum show that tonight today we just gave him the ball more like I I felt like there was a moment in

The Laker game where we could have done the same thing in the second quarter and that ball didn’t find him but at least today we did that we found him and that’s how it’s got to be like that’s Jason Tay I know a guy that knows him I

Sent him an Instagram post about Kobe Bryant about him going off on his teammates in the locker room I’m like send this to Tatum he needs to see this because it’s true like your stars get you through those tough nights when your when your bench don’t have it they’re

Built differently stars are different their bodies are different they go to different levels and I just felt like today was like we all recognize look him give the ball to this guy he can do whatever he wants out there and it helps when the three-point shot is falling six

To 12 when that that when that go it just feels like he’s easily getting over 30 points and just makes it so much easier on himself but I go back to it I love the playmaking it was clear that early on they wanted to get porzingis going and there were multiple times

Where Tatum was driving found a uh either cutting porzingis or just threw a nice pass to get him a to get him a three-point look and like when you get that kind of two-man game going good luck to any opponent even if it was the Underman Grizzlies yeah the Celtics they

Also went on a 24 to6 run to end that second quarter I talked about it looking a little bit shaky and that second quarter as well because the Grizzlies they were closing in on this Celtics team and I could only just think about that game on Thursday with the Lakers

And no LeBron and no a I got a little I’m not going to lie I’m not going to lie SC I got a little bit nervous cuz sometimes in Celtics team you just never know what you’re going to get but what allowed them to blow the doors open off

Of this game so that that group when TM came back in the game they just it was closed I think there was the timeout by Joe and then it was over from there our I don’t know I wish are you going to

Talk to no you got to be on the show I I wish someone asked Joe what did the bench do the last two days because I didn’t think they were good they were good at the end I didn’t think they were good at the start of that game I didn’t

Think they have the same pop do you think they ran he ran him like or ran him but maybe they hooped for like an hour maybe they wore out I have no idea like in practice you talking about the day before okay maybe he was like listen

You starters take some time off cu the bench guys come in here we’re going to work right okay okay they just didn’t have the pop but as soon as Tatum went back in the game the thing was over like he he made yet like this game was over I

Mean they were so good I I I want to ask you do you think when Tatum watches that video from Marcus Smart like does that resonate with a super I don’t know everyone’s different I don’t I mean he hasn’t been here he wasn’t here for like I’m trying to think

Not for like Garnett’s comeback or anything like that but when you see someone like that celebrated does that resonate when when when guys would come back and they would play the videos for you everybody’s different man you know like I’m personally not like that I like

The like uh I like the plays that one guy makes so stuff is like I remember all that stuff it’s a memories it’s like it’s nostalgic but I ain’t going to shed a tear I’m sorry sc’s too tough he’s too tough to shed a tear okay I’m not shedding no tear Bo this

Man this is like the first no wait this is the first time I’ve ever heard scal booed inside of T Garden I don’t think you guys understand SC is a superstar in here and I don’t think this ever happened I’m just being honest like you

Guys are you guys are mad at me for being honest like that doesn’t but if Marcus Smart Dives on the floor like I could cry in the middle of that so it’s different for me like when you guys like I get all emotional about that like

Nostalgia it’s like yeah all right yay I got you I got it I’m know anything like that not for me for me it’s about like you goton no no no no I’m not good no no no like it plays it play it’s moment did you have a favorite marus smart play I

Mean I liked all the diving on the floor and stuff like that I like uh when when he saved the ball yeah we were going to lose that guy yes and he totally turned to momentum so it has to be like that I get I just goosebumped right there but I ain’t

Going to but the the the whole thing it’s like I compartmentalized okay okay I’m not trying to make this a session I want to say it sound like a therapy session to me but I mean you heard what Jason Tatum had to say in the interview

With Abby he said just seeing it up there on the video board the reception that he got from fans inside of TD Garden well warranted as well for hisb I would think that it did resonate with a player like Jason Tatum who he’s been with Marcus Smart for the majority of

His career I so there was a guy behind the Celtics bench that had a sign that said zero greater than 33 and then he flipped it over and said eventually or something or like some point or whatever like that’s that’s a tough comparison right like you put yourself in the

Conversation with Larry Bird but I think we know Tatum is one of the greatest he knows he wants to be one of those guys who gets that sort of moment someday like hopefully never leaves Boston but eventually he’ll come back and he’ll be celebrated I think that does resonate

Like you want to be that player you want to be the the guy that everyone celebrates I think he does except scale no except scale but I feel like I feel like Jason Tatum just based off of what we see and you know just hearing him

Speak at the podium post game and things like that even in that interview with Abby I do feel like that is something at some point in his career that he would want a reception like that well you’ll see I’ll cry when we win the championship this year

Now that that I would pay to see cigars confetti and duckboats baby that’s all you get from me oh my goodness cigars confetti and duckboats you you I’ll be ah you’ll be you’ll be crying for that how would you describe the environment inside of TD Garden when

They did give the tribute to how people hung out just to scream about market tonight so like look it it was cool I think especially just getting to see that again it’s been a while since we’ve had someone come back that was part of like building this thing out and

Certainly when you guys all celebrated every member of that 2008 sad I I love it there was great energy in there for Marcus to get both the video tribute and the hero Among Us celebrating everything he did here on the court off the court it was cool like I mean like they added

Something to a game that otherwise would just be like kind of going through the I’m not going to lie cuz it was kind of quiet a little bit in that first half there were like lows where you could literally hear the squeaks on the cord and it’s that’s not typical inside a TD

Garden at all it felt like a c celebration until we got through those videos then you got through the hero among us then Jason Tatum came back in the game and he was like all right enough he was like we love you Marcus but whack to win this game

Chris Forsberg, Scal and Amina Smith break down the Celtics’ win over the Grizzlies and discuss Marcus Smart’s emotional return to Boston

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