Marcus Smart Claims He Didn't Purposely Injure Stephen Curry; Draymond Green Agrees

Marcus Smart is mounting to defend himself after taking heat for a potentially risky play on Stephen Curry.

The Golden State Warriors star guard injured his foot during the second quarter of Wednesday night's 110-88 loss to the Boston Celtics when his leg got rolled on by Smart as the two wrestled for a loose ball.

Curry was ruled out of the second half due to left foot soreness. He underwent an MRI shortly after the game.

Smart addressed the criticism after receiving backlash for the play, including from GSW head coach Steve Kerr, who was shown yelling at the Celtics' guard and later criticized the move as "dangerous."

Smart claims he did not see Curry but instead saw the ball and dove for it, saying he is simply "trying to make a play," according to The Mercury News.

Although Smart is certain he would be labeled "dirty," he continues that he knows who he is an athlete who plays very hard and leaves everything on the court, per YardBarker.

"My teammates, my colleagues, they know I'm not a dirty player," Smart added.

The two-time All-Defensive First Teamer Smart is one of the NBA's most recognizable hustle players, hunting for loose balls and extra possessions for a living. But he has also been accused of being a dirty player throughout his career, stretching back several years.

Curry, who had just three points on 1-of-4 shooting before exiting, will miss a decent amount of time with the injury, which is concerning given that the playoffs begin in just about a month.

GSW Forward Draymond Green Did Not Think Smart's Move Was 'Dirty'

Smart made Steve Kerr upset. Fans of the Golden State Warriors were in the same boat. But Draymond Green? He was not of them.

Although tempers flared during Wednesday night's game, Green was one of the few on Golden State's side who did not take major issue with the Boston Celtics guard's hustle play, per NESN.

The GSW forward's take was far different than his head coach, explaining that at every level of basketball, players are taught to dive on the floor and go after the ball, and "that's what [only] Marcus did," he said.

Green said that it was an unnecessary dive, but he cannot call it a dirty play.

Smart and Green appeared to hold similar objective viewpoints. Smart, on the other hand, did not seem bothered by Kerr's criticism, crediting the coach for standing by his player while also expressing concern for Curry, who left the game and did not return.

Once the dust settled, the Celtics emerged with a victory that moved them into the fourth spot in the East standings for the first time this season. If the postseason began today, the squad would have home-court advantage in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

READ MORE: Jayson Tatum Spoils Kevin Durant's 25K Club Party, Shares Perfect Reaction to 54-Point Outburst for Celtics vs. Nets

This article is owned by Latin Post.

Written by: Jess Smith

WATCH: HIGHLIGHTS: Marcus Smart, Steve Kerr get into it over controversial play that led to Curry injury - from NBC Sports Boston