Marcus Smart Makes Lakers Playoff History In Game 2 Win Vs. Rockets

Smart got the Lakers off to a strong start, hitting three of those 3-pointers and snatching a pair of steals in the first quarter. He had 14 in the first as the Lakers held a seven-point lead. But of course the Rockets would fight back and the Lakers found themselves trying to hold on to the lead coming down the stretch of the fourth quarter.

That is where Smart would come through again as he made play after play in the final minutes. With the Lakers up just five, Smart would knock down a huge 3-point shot from the corner to give them some breathing room and go up by eight. Then after hitting a pair of free throws, Smart would force a Kevin Durant turnover and then hit LeBron James on a backdoor cut for a huge dunk to put the nail in the coffin.

It is games like these that show why the Lakers signed Smart this offseason. His energy and effort on defense is crucial for this team and he was one of the main reasons why the Lakers were able to hold Durant to just three points in the second half while also forcing nine turnovers from the Rockets’ superstar.

But Smart is also a veteran with a ton of playoff experience who doesn’t shy away from the big moments and when the Lakers needed him most, he came through on offense and defense and now the Lakers head back to Houston with a 2-0 series lead.

Marcus Smart explains ‘new feeling’ in return to playoffs with Lakers

While Smart has plenty of playoff experience, none of that has come over the past two years as he struggled with injuries on losing teams. But now being back in the postseason, Smart noted a bit of a new feeling he is experiencing with this Lakers team.