Five years ago, if you pulled a Lakers fan aside and said, ‘See that guy right there, Marcus Smart, the heart and soul of the Boston Celtics, No. 36 in green? He’s going to be one of this team’s biggest contributors in 2026,’ you’d probably get laughed at. But that’s exactly the reality the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in now.
In Game 1 of their first-round series with the Houston Rockets, the Lakeshow had a golden ticket. Despite not having Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the playing field was evened out by Kevin Durant, also missing the series opener.
LA cashed that ticket in and stole Game 1 at home 107-98, and without Smart, that wouldn't have been possible.
The 32-year-old guard stuffed the stat sheet with 15 points, two rebounds, eight assists, two blocks, and one steal. But beyond the stat sheet was where Smart's impact was really felt, as he brought back old winning playoff tendencies he built during nine straight postseason runs with the Celtics.
Marcus Smart’s playoff experience delivered in the biggest way possible
In playoff basketball, communication is non-negotiable. For a Lakers team down two of their three stars, that need for communication is even more critical, and from the opening tip, Smart carried that load for LA. Whether it was telling teammates where they were supposed to be offensively, communicating switches, or warning of incoming screens, Smart was constantly communicating.
These things may sound minuscule, but when you're down two stars in Luka and Reaves, that communication builds cohesion and allows LA to play as one.
On top of constant chatter, he also brings the kind of hustle that’s needed in the playoffs. At the end of the first half, he chased Amen Thompson down in a fast break and blocked him. Those types of plays helped LA keep momentum in this game.
Playoff basketball is like chess in the way that it's about making a move and then countering a move. Because of his extensive playoff experience in Boston, Smart knows how to read a playoff game and help LA respond to exactly what’s needed.
Early on, he wanted to get DeAndre Ayton comfortable and in a rhythm, so he started feeding him the ball, as four of his eight assists were DA baskets. Later in the game, the Lakers needed stops, so Smart got in his stance, walled up, and looked like the former Defensive Player of the Year he is.
Lakers fans rarely, if ever, have a reason to thank the Boston Celtics, but they may want to for this one. Without Marcus Smart's playoff experience, LA likely wouldn't have won Game 1 against Houston.
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