Marcus Smart said last night that he believed the Celtics could turn it around. He tried his best by scoring, forcing turnovers and distributing through a vicious fourth-quarter comeback attempt. The C’s stormed on a 7-0 run, trailing by 10, with under one minute left.
Then Smart pulled up, legs flailing, seconds into the shot clock with 52 seconds left. Damian Lillard, who scored 33 points on 13-for-28, ran the other way for an easy layup and the game. Maurice Harkless added 17, getting into the teeth of Boston’s defense with four offensive rebounds.