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Marcus Smart’s heart and hustle leads Celtics to Game 7 victory

The Boston Celtics overcame a gritty and resilient Raptors team on Friday night, advancing to the Eastern Conference Finals as a result. It was a game predicated on intense defense affording little room for either team’s offensive threats to get to work.

Win or go home games naturally draw every ounce from a team’s stars, yet you find victory in the shadows hidden below the box score. Contests like these are wars of attrition, a battleground for only the mentally dominant.

Luckily, the Celtics possess a player who thrives in that type of environment, capable of the unthinkable when the odds stack up.