Marcus Smart’s first home appearance with the Los Angeles Lakers underscored why the franchise targeted the veteran guard in free agency. On Friday night, Oct. 24, 2025, at Crypto.com Arena, the 31-year-old fueled a Los Angeles win over the Minnesota Timberwolves with a flurry of hustle plays—charges, deflections and dives—despite finishing with only three points, one assist and two steals in 21 minutes.
Smart recorded a game-best plus/minus of +24, a figure he said embodies his approach to the game. “I try not to look at the stats,” Smart told reporters post-game. “Stats aren’t going to do me any justice, so I don’t worry about them. I just go out there, do what I’m supposed to do and help my teammates. Being a plus-24 shows the impact you can make without touching, scoring or shooting the ball, and that’s huge for us.”
Los Angeles fell behind early, but Smart explained that his priority was to establish intensity on both ends. “I just wanted to set the tone with my actions and my words, getting everybody in the right spots,” he said. “They punched us in the mouth early and we needed to respond, so I made sure we did that.”
Whether head coach JJ Redick eventually moves Smart into the starting lineup remains to be seen, yet the former Defensive Player of the Year has already emerged as a key piece of the second unit.
Austin Reaves credited Smart and forward Jarred Vanderbilt for shifting the momentum after the first quarter. “They came off that bench and that group was big for us,” Reaves noted. “Marcus got one steal—should’ve been two—laying his body on the line and giving us opportunities over and over again. The same goes for Jake LaRavia, and DA [Deandre Ayton] was a monster tonight. We’ll keep building on that trust.”
Smart’s performance reinforced the Lakers’ belief that defensive grit and energy can be as valuable as points on the scoreboard—an outlook that could define his role throughout the season.
Source: LakersNation.com
