Lakers' 'Swiss Army knife' Marcus Smart sets the tone against Kevin Durant, Rockets - BERITAJA

Marcus Smart stepped up to meet Kevin Durant astatine three-quarters court. The Lakers defender reached and poked the shot away. Instead of letting the lanky, about 7-foot Durant corral the loose ball, the 6-foot-3 Smart dove to unafraid it for himself.

The Crypto.com Arena crowd jumped to its feet.

From the opening infinitesimal to the last horn, Smart group the reside for the Lakers connected Tuesday, 25 points, draining 5 threes, pinch 7 assists and 5 steals during the Lakers’ 101-94 Game 2 win complete the Houston Rockets. The Lakers return a 2-0 lead successful the best-of-seven bid to Houston for Game 3 connected Friday, erstwhile the Lakers will effort to extremity a streak of 9 consecutive roadworthy playoff losses.

LeBron James, successful his record-tying 19th postseason, is the Lakers’ about influential subordinate this postseason. But moreover without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, the squad is not short connected leadership. The Lakers person six players who person played successful the NBA Finals, including Smart and halfway Deandre Ayton.

Lakers defender Marcus Smart celebrates pinch Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves aft making a three-pointer during the 4th fourth of Game 2 of their NBA playoff crippled connected Tuesday.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

“Being successful large moments for those guys is not a caller thing,” Lakers coach JJ Redick said. “Smart, he conscionable had a slayer crippled today.”

The playoff shape was each Smart knew erstwhile he began his profession successful Boston. He played successful the Eastern Conference finals 4 times pinch the Celtics and erstwhile successful the NBA Finals. The play he was traded to Memphis, the Celtics won the NBA title.

Instead of celebrating Boston’s 18th championship, Smart languished betwixt injuries and irrelevancy. He played conscionable 54 games successful 2 seasons pinch Memphis and Washington, 2 teams that were person to the draught lottery than immoderate home-court advantage. The Wizards bought retired his statement past summer.

“I could person been retired the league, right?” Smart said. “... So to beryllium capable to beryllium backmost connected this shape again, making the plays that I’m making pinch these guys, pinch this team, this organization, I’m conscionable grateful.”

Lakers defender Marcus Smart sits connected the level pinch the hoops aft poking it distant from Houston guardant Kevin Durant during Game 2 of their NBA playoff bid Tuesday astatine Crypto.com Arena.

(Robert Gauthier/Los Angeles Times)

As a free agent, Smart expressed a desire to play for a squad pinch existent title aspirations. Although he was entering his 12th NBA play and coming disconnected nagging injuries, the Lakers still saw Smart arsenic an important addition. The analytics still painted the 2022 protect subordinate of the twelvemonth arsenic an effective defender and an businesslike secondary playmaker.

His leadership, while unquantifiable, could beryllium moreover much valuable.

Redick met pinch Smart successful San Francisco 2 weeks agone erstwhile the Lakers were coming disconnected a three-game losing streak. They were emotionally drained from losing their 2 starring scorers to regular-season ending injuries. They looked for illustration a squad pinch nary morganatic way guardant successful the postseason.

Smart was nursing a correct ankle contusion that kept him retired of 9 games. Redick still went to seasoned defender to thief attraction the group.

“Because he has the sound he has, he could thief create the belief and the assurance successful our group,” Redick said. “And I deliberation he’s done that.”

The Lakers won their last 3 regular play games to support home-court advantage successful the first information complete the Rockets. Smart returned for the last 2 games, dishing retired 17 assists while the Lakers tried to support their discourtesy afloat without Doncic and Reaves.

But he had conscionable 11 points successful the 2 games and was 2-of-12 from three-point scope successful 3 games since returning from the ankle injury. He doubled that number of made threes successful the first half of Game 2.

“Constantly, my teammates and coaching unit show maine to beryllium aggressive,” Smart said. “Either that’s for you aliases for your teammates, but proceed to beryllium aggressive. … I’m a Swiss Army knife, truthful benignant of do a small spot of everything.”

With Smart’s unwavering protect commitment, the Lakers smothered the Rockets successful Game 1 and were conscionable arsenic effective successful Game 2 erstwhile Durant made his bid debut aft missing the first crippled because of a correct knee contusion. The 37-year-old early Hall of Famer had 23 points connected seven-for-12 shooting, but committed a playoff career-high 9 turnovers. Three of Smart’s 5 steals came against Durant.

“He’s battle-tested,” James said of Smart. “The guy’s been to the Finals, been successful aggregate playoff games, large games successful his career. So, obviously, he’s not acrophobic of the moment.”

The Lakers’ 2 about knowledgeable players created a signature infinitesimal successful the last infinitesimal pinch the Lakers starring by five. After a Smart steal, James caught the Rockets’ Tari Eason sleeping connected defense astatine the apical of the arc and rushed past him. Smart whipped a one-handed bounce walk to the cutting 41-year-old who vanished pinch a soaring dunk. Center Jaxson Hayes waved his arms toward the delirious crowd. Smart pointed toward James.