Marcus Smart walked into the postgame press conference on Friday night as a man who had just exhaled nine weeks of frustration — and he wasted no time letting it show.
The veteran guard returned from a nine-game ankle absence to contribute six points and seven assists in the Lakers’ 101-73 rout of the Phoenix Suns, a win that clinched home-court advantage in the first round. But Smart’s mind was already on what comes next.
Describing what the injury layoff felt like as a competitor, Smart was direct. “It’s been stressful honestly. Me as a competitor, seeing my guys out there and not being able to help — especially with things the way they are now, we’re down bodies — it’s been tough,” he said. He credited the organization for keeping the pressure off: “Everybody, the coaches, the players, the training staff — just giving me full support. No rush. Take your time. Whenever you feel ready, get back out there.”
Smart passed all the necessary tests ahead of Friday and said he expects to play again Sunday. “We went through all the X’s and O’s and everything checked out. Today felt great, so I should be back out there again on Sunday,” he said.
The losses of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves during Smart’s absence only sharpened the sense of urgency around his return. He acknowledged the emotional toll those injuries took on the group. “Austin and Luka, they’re our engines. Everybody knows it. And it hurt. It hurt us. It hurt our morale. It took us a little time to get ourselves back together, but we trust in one another,” Smart said.
With both stars sidelined heading into the playoffs, Smart knows his role has expanded significantly. “Everybody has to step up — myself included. I’m going to have to play even more on both ends of the floor, just being that initiator, getting us into offense, finding guys, and finding the right spots for myself as well,” he said.
While sidelined, Smart also served as a voice in the locker room at coach JJ Redick’s request. He said the message he kept coming back to was simple. “Control what you can control — that’s been my motto all year. We can’t control injuries. We can’t control who’s in the lineup night in night out. We can only control what we do when we’re healthy and out there,” Smart said. He also tried to reframe the absences as opportunity: “All that means is we got other chances for other guys to step up and show what they can do. As a competitor, that should excite you.”
On the playoff challenge that awaits a depleted roster, Smart was honest but unbothered. “We all know it’s going to be a challenge. But this is part of the game — every year, whoever can stay healthy, a little luck comes into play. But I’m excited about the challenge,” he said.
He closed with a line that captured exactly where the Lakers stand heading into the postseason. “It ain’t going to be easy. We all know it. But it’s going to be fun and we’re going to enjoy this ride,” Smart said.
