Celtics' Brown lauds Smart: 'He was born with his hands dirty'

Marcus Smart plays with the physical edge of a pit bull; his style of play might not always be elegant or smooth, but when the fourth-year guard is on the floor, everyone in the building knows he's going to be fighting tooth and nail to make winning plays.

That includes his Boston Celtics teammate Jaylen Brown.

"He was born with his hands dirty," Brown said after the Celtics' 107-94 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers in Game 2 on Tuesday, according to ESPN's Chris Forsberg. "I'm just happy he's on our side. Today was a tremendous effort on one of the biggest stages we've all played on. I commend Smart for coming with that hard hat that he always has."

Smart was one of the Celtics' heroes in the Game 2 victory, finishing plus-13 in 31 minutes with 11 points, nine assists, five rebounds, and four steals - not to mention several eye-popping hustles plays that don't show up in the box score.

"I think he's as tough as they come, right? He's a true competitor," Celtics coach Brad Stevens added. "He matches his intensity with a physical toughness."

Even the face of the Cleveland Cavaliers couldn't help but concede Smart's immense impact.

"I think Marcus always makes plays at the right time," LeBron James appraised, which stands - paradoxically, perhaps - as both Smart's simplest and grandest endorsement to date.