Celtics’ Marcus Smart on non-shooting foul vs. Bucks in Game 3: ‘I thought it was 3 free throws’

MILWAUKEE — Marcus Smart, just like Celtics coach Ime Udoka, thought he was going to get three free throws with 4.6 seconds left on the clock and the C’s down three points. But the referees ruled it as a common foul, and with the C’s in the bonus, Smart was only going to get two free throws instead.

Smart hit his first free throw, bringing it to a two-point Celtics deficit. He intentionally missed the second free throw then made an impressive play to get the rebound. But Al Horford’s tip-in basket was too late as the C’s were defeated in the 103-101 loss to drop Game 3 and fall 2-1 in the Eastern Conference semifinals.

But the final sequence wasn’t the issue for the Celtics; Horford’s tip-in was clearly late upon replay.

Smart thought he was going to get three free throws initially and was visibly shocked when he found out he was only going to get two shots. While there was the possibility of Smart going with the rip-through move that would’ve rewarded him with two free throws, he said it wouldn’t make sense because the Celtics were down three points and not two.

“We need three with 4.6 seconds left,” Smart said postgame. “They know we need three and they are going to foul. It’s not like he got me and it was down low. I was already in my shooting motion. I thought it was three free throws and they said it wasn’t.”

Udoka wasn’t happy about the call, saying it was a “bad missed call.” Udoka added he thought Smart was fouled on the way up of his shooting motion not any kind of rip-through move. While Udoka hasn’t been critical much of the refs throughout his first season, he was clearly frustrated with the call.

Smart made his return Saturday from a thigh contusion he suffered in Game 1 last weekend, which forced him to miss the Game 2 win over the Bucks. He was able to start and play after the three-day break and added that he felt fine postgame.

“They didn’t give me any explanation,” Smart said of the referees. “I went to ask and they looked at me funny and went to the free throw line.”

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