Marcus Smart,Timofey Mozgov,Nick Young

Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart breaks away from Los Angeles Lakers' Timofey Mozgov and Nick Young (0) during the second quarter of an NBA basketball game in Boston Friday, Feb. 3, 2017.

(AP Photo/Winslow Townson)

BOSTON -- Boston Celtics head coach Brad Stevens likes bringing Marcus Smart off the bench for a number of reasons. Smart's energy can change the game. He plays well as a big second-unit point guard. He can slide from one position to the next, giving the coaching staff plenty of options.

Friday night, Smart's bench role also helped because he got to sit there and watch while the Los Angeles Lakers celebrated an early stream of 3-pointers. Among Lakers happy to make buckets, Nick Young showed the most enthusiasm. He fired guns after his first 3-pointer, held out three fingers after his second, and unleashed a bit of a dance after his third:

Young likes to have fun, but Smart does not appreciate when opponents enjoy their time on the basketball court.

"They hit a couple shots, were dancing and mocking us and things like that -- like it's just gonna be easy for them," Smart said after his team's 113-107 win. "That really persuaded me to go out there and do my best to shut that down."

After entering the game with about six minutes left in the first quarter, Smart almost immediately punished Young for his perceived transgressions:

That was one of three steals for Smart over his first 3:24 of playing time. Agreeing with a reporter afterward, the guard said, "Really, I was just walking up and grabbing (the ball)."

"They weren't exposing it," said Smart, who finished with nine points, seven assists, five steals and a team-high +11. "They were setting screens real tight and trying to keep the ball real tight. I just made (up my mind) to make sure that I don't get screened and I go get the ball."

Describing Smart's steals, Jae Crowder said his teammate "really tries to punk a guy."

The Celtics needed Smart's energy boost. Over the six minutes before he stepped on the court for the first time, the Lakers scored 21 points on 7-for-12 shooting, including 5-for-6 from behind the arc. The rest of the way, they shot 30 for 82 (36.6 percent).

"I thought he was probably the one individual you could single out in that first quarter that got us headed in the right direction," said head coach Brad Stevens, "because his defense changed our defense.

Added Isaiah Thomas: "He was the key to everything. For us turning that game around, he was the key. He had the most energy out of all of us. He got defensive stops. He made the right play on offense. And we just fed off him. We came in here at halftime, we knew that he was the guy that changed the game. And everybody else had to follow. And we did that."