The Boston Celtics won't have veteran guard Marcus Smart for their first-round NBA playoff series against the Indiana Pacers because of an oblique injury, but his teammates were thinking of him during Sunday's Game 1 win at TD Garden.
Smart would have appreciated Boston's defensive effort in the series opener. The Celtics' defense was excellent, holding the Pacers to 33.3 percent shooting in an 84-74 victory.
Following the win, C's point guard Kyrie Irving had a special message for his teammate. Check it out in the video below:
Smart responded on Twitter a short while after Game 1.
Irving's own defense was fantastic against the Pacers, and that's a great sign for the Celtics. He also scored 20 points, along with seven assists and five rebounds in his first career playoff game with Boston.
The Celtics will aim for a similarly dominant defensive performance Wednesday night when they can take a 2-0 series lead before the action shifts to Indiana.
Boston Celtics
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