Celtics' Marcus Smart: Lackluster showing, key foul in Thursday loss

Smart totaled just five points (1-5 FG, 0-1 3Pt, 3-4 FT), four rebounds, three assists and one steal over 33 minutes in Thursday's 104-103 loss to the Bulls.

Analysis:

Smart couldn't come close to replicating his stellar performance from a night earlier against the Sixers that included a whopping eight steals, and ended up committing a game-changing foul that directly led to the loss to boot. The third-year pro appeared to play superb defense against Jimmy Butler on the latter's desperation shot attempt at the buzzer, but grazed his elbow as the ball left his hand, drawing the whistle. Butler drained the subsequent pair of free throws to effectively seal the win for the Bulls and cap off a generally forgettable night for Smart. The game marked the end of a six-game streak of double-digit scoring for the 22-year-old, as he took his lowest amount of shot attempts since Jan. 25. With both Avery Bradley (Achilles) and Jaylen Brown (hip) possibly returning after the All-Star break, Smart may be heading back to the bench, although he'll still be expected to see at least 25 minutes per night in that scenario.