“They don’t want to pass the ball” – Marcus Smart pins accountability on Jaylen Brown and Jayson Tatum after Boston Celtics’ fourth-quarter meltdown against Chicago Bulls

Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart has kicked up a storm. Smart had some harsh words for his teammates Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown following the team’s disappointing loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday.

The Celtics were up by as many as 19 points (94-75) late in the third quarter, but suffered a terrible meltdown to lose the game from thereon. The Boston Celtics scored just 11 points in the fourth quarter as the Bulls rallied to pick up a 128-114 victory on the road.

Following the defeat, the Boston Celtics fans booed their players off the court. Marcus Smart made some pretty frank remarks about the play of his star teammates, Tatum and Brown who combined for 48 points between them. Smart said:

“I would just like to play basketball. Every team knows we're trying to go to Jayson and Jaylen. Every team is programmed and studied to stop Jayson and Jaylen. I think everybody's scouting report is to make those guys pass the ball. They don't want to pass the ball.”

Smart added a touch of positivity to his otherwise blunt comments. He remarked:

“That's something that they're going to learn. They're still learning. We're proud of the progress they're making, but they're going to have to make another step and find ways to not only create for themselves but create for others on this team to open up the court for them ...”

“Only so much I can do,” says Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics

Smart’s candid remarks came after the Boston Celtics slumped to their fifth defeat in seven games to start the 2021-22 NBA season. The Boston Celtics guard, who had 16 points and went three-of-five from downtown in the contest, criticized his team’s ball movement late in the game. Marcus Smart commented:

“Only so much I can do without the ball in my hands sitting in the corner. We're running plays for our best players, every team knows that. They do a good job of shutting that down. We can't allow that... We can't keep trying to go to those guys. We gotta abort that, find another way to get them the ball in spots that they need the ball. For me, I can only do so much just sitting in the corner or when I come up and give the ball away.”

Jaylen Brown, who was scheduled to meet with the media, did not meet with reporters after Smart’s interaction.

For the Bulls, DeMar DeRozan was the star against the Boston Celtics. The 2021 offseason acquisition had 37 points in the contest against the Celtics. DeRozan found good support from teammates Zach LaVine (26 points) and Nikola Vucevic (11 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists).