Josh Smith hasn't exactly been the Atlanta Hawks MVP so far in this Eastern Conference semifinals series against the Chicago Bulls, becoming a clear liability in Game 2 due to awful shot selection and spotty effort. He's apparently decided Bulls forward Carlos Boozer has likewise held his own team back, telling CSN Chicago's Aggrey Sam on the subject of Boozer's turf toe injury:
At this point and time, everybody's hurt, so you really can't use anything as excuse. You've just got to play. Bottom line," said Smith, who believes Boozer appears to be "pretty much the same" as before his recent injury.
Al Horford vs. Joakim Noah and Derrick Rose vs. Jeff Teague are the marquee matchups in this series, but the step-it-up battle between Smith and Boozer could be the one that swings the series in Friday night's game.
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