BOSTON -- It was one of those nights where Marcus Smart simply could do no wrong, so when the Boston Celtics' 6-foot-4 guard got switched onto 6-foot-10 Anthony Davis late in the first half, he didn't even think of calling for help. Instead, Smart got right up onto Davis' hip at the 3-point arc and essentially challenged him to take advantage of his size.

Davis switched to a left-handed dribble and five times tried to muscle his way through Smart, who stood his ground and never let Davis reach the blocks. Late in the shot clock, Davis leaned into an off-balanced shot that hit only the glass on the other side of the rim, leading to a 24-second violation.

Smart impacting the game on the defensive end -- even while defending bigger bodies -- is nothing new (see also: Smart defending Kristaps Porzingis). On Saturday night, starting in place of injured Avery Bradley, Smart scored a season-high 22 points on 7-of-10 shooting. Despite connecting on only 29 percent of his 3-point shots entering Saturday, Smart accounted for five of Boston's 18 triples en route to a 117-108 triumph over the New Orleans Pelicans at TD Garden.

So even on a night when Isaiah Thomas scored a game-high 36 points, it was Smart's offensive efforts that stole the show. Even Thomas took notice.

Marcus Smart got going offensively on Saturday, burning the Pelicans for 22 points. Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images

"[Smart is] a special player. He's special because he has the things you can't teach," Thomas said. "When he has the full package, he's a tough guard to handle. When he plays like that, I bet we win 100 percent of the time, because he puts so much pressure on the [opposing defense] when he's making his shots and then, on the defensive end, he's a monster."

Smart is holding opposing players to 3.5 percent below their season field goal percentage, according to the NBA's player-tracking data. Over Boston's past 10 games, his opponents are shooting a meager 34.2 percent overall, or an absurd 9.1 percent below their season average.

The knock on Smart has always been his offense, but not only is he emerging as a legitimate backup point guard (six assists Saturday) but his 3-point shot is starting to fall with more regularity.

Over Boston's past eight games, Smart is shooting 48.3 percent beyond the 3-point arc, an astounding number for a player who shot a cringe-worthy 25.3 percent from distance last season. Not only is Smart learning how to be a better facilitator while looking much more comfortable in the pick-and-roll, but he's becoming a more efficient shooter by picking his spots better.

To Celtics coach Brad Stevens, the offense is simply the icing on the cake. Smart has proven he is capable of impacting the game even when he doesn't score, whether it's with defense or the sort of plays that don't show up in the box score. That Smart has started at three different positions this season -- the 1 when Thomas hurt his groin; the 2 when Bradley has been out; and the 3 when Jae Crowder injured his ankle -- only highlights his value to this team.

"I know what he does to help you win," Stevens said. "Like, he can not score a point, he can miss eight shots, not make any, and he can still have a positive impact on winning. So I don't really look at it as [an offensive] breakthrough or not.

"Offensively, certainly, I believe in him shooting the right shots and making them, and it's been good that he's found a niche in the post against smaller guys and then also has found good spots to take and make those 3s."

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Smart's uptick in offensive production is the obvious storyline in these parts, but Smart himself is happiest with his defensive play. He also says he believes that it's Thomas' offensive exploits lately that are opening things up for Boston players on the offensive end.

One night after hitting a franchise-record 19 3-pointers, the Celtics connected on 18 more in Saturday's win.

"I'm playing some of the best defense that I've played my whole career," Smart said. "This team is doing a good job of moving the ball on the offensive end. With a guy like Isaiah, everybody [on defense] is looking at him, all eyes on him, and it's opening the floor for me and other guys."

Smart did admit that he's more conscious of where his shots are coming from. The stats show that he thrives in catch-and-shoot (32 percent on 3s), especially from the corner. It's the pull-ups (17.9 percent on 3s) from above the break that tend to drag down his percentages.

Smart also joked that all his late-quarter heaves probably don't help his numbers, either. It seems as if Smart is the only player willing to launch a three-quarter heave before the buzzer.

"Just take open shots. A lot of my shot selection, and a lot of my [low] percentages is because I'm getting the ball late in the shot clock," Smart said. "Those late heaves, those are going to bring [percentages] down. The chances of those going in aren't very high. So I just tried to cut down on those and try to get a great shot every time."

Smart's teammates know that if he gets an early shot to fall, they need to go back to him.

"When he makes one, he's on fire," Thomas said. "When he plays like he did tonight, we've got to just keep feeding him."