The Latest Breaking News from Marcus Smart

Is there a decline in defense in today's NBA, or is there an offensive renaissance going on instead?

Joe Mazzulla was quizzed on whether he was concerned with his Boston Celtics team following victory over the Atlanta Hawks, and responded with a hint of sarcasm in his post-match press conference

USA TODAY Sports sits down with the Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart before their matchup against the Trae Young led Atlanta Hawks.

Over the course of 909 total possessions this season, that lineup has produced a positive 12.2 net rating for the ball club.

On this day, the storied rivalry between the Celtics and Lakers was born; it's also the date of Boston legend John Havlicek's last home game, and Jayson Tatum scoring 53 points.

BOSTON — Hours before Friday’s game versus Toronto, the Celtics reported a new finger injury for Jaylen Brown and ruled out Marcus Smart for a second straight game due to neck spasms.

Joe Mazzulla has stayed consistent with his desire for the Celtics to continue winning and build good habits as the playoffs inch closer. Even though their final two regular season games will be meaningless for them in the standings, that intention doesn’t appear to be changing.

Celtics All-Star Jayson Tatum is one of three starters Boston will be without when it hosts the Toronto Raptors on Wednesday

BOSTON — As well as they have played for most of the season, the Celtics have proven susceptible to losses to inferior opponents. They’ve lost to the Magic three times. More recently, they lost to the Rockets, the worst team in the Western Conference. Those defeats may be pivotal in…