Losing Aron Baynes to an ankle sprain against the Philadelphia 76ers was enough of a problem for the Boston Celtics. Marcus Smart getting ejected at the start of the third quarter made it significantly harder for Boston to close out the game — which they were unable to do without the pair, losing 118-115 on Wednesday.
Smart was ejected in the third quarter after shoving Joel Embiid in retaliation to a cheap elbow on a screen that knocked Smart to the floor. At the time, the Celtics were up 69-58. After the flagrant 2 was called, Boston was outscored 60-46.
Safe to say, the ejection had an impact.
Brad Stevens echoed the same sentiment to reporters in Philly after the loss.
I’m disappointed in Marcus [Smart]. We need ya. Like, Baynes is already out. We need him to be in the game. No matter what happened.
This, of course, isn’t the first time Smart has lost his cool in his career — or this season, for that matter. Back on January 19, Smart was ejected for losing it on DeAndre’ Bembry in Atlanta.
Stevens and Smart’s teammates know this can happen on any night, which Boston’s coach reiterated to reporters. But the given circumstance should have warranted a better decision on Smart’s end.
Don’t get it wrong, we love all that Marcus is and that’s part of Marcus’ fire. As you know, a time or two a year it gets the best of him. But this is just a reminder of how important he is. He knows how we all feel and knows we all love him and that’s just part of it, it’s part of the long season
