AP Photo/Michael Dwyer

Marcus Smart earned praise from Kevin Garnett for his hustle.BOSTON -- No player appreciates grit and hustle more than Kevin Garnett, so it was noteworthy that, after Boston Celtics rookie Marcus Smart went to the floor to corral a loose ball in the third quarter of Friday's game, Garnett gave him a little love for the effort.

The sequence started with Garnett setting a pick on Smart to try to free ball handler Jarrett Jack. Jared Sullinger managed to poke the ball loose and Smart, trying to recover to get it to Jack, managed to change directions and dove onto the floor to corral the loose ball. As Garnett pounced looking to force a jump ball, Smart had the presence of mind to flip the ball over his head and hit Jeff Green at midcourt, allowing him to streak in for an uncontested dunk.

For his efforts, Smart got Garnett's rump in his face. But as the two were tangled on the ground, Garnett gave Smart a quick dap. And after the Nets called timeout following the play, Garnett again patted the rookie on his chest as they got to their feet.

"I admire the young guy," Garnett said of Smart. "I admire the young guy’s work ethic and how hard he plays. Obviously, they brought him in here and [Celtics president of basketball operations] Danny [Ainge] knows talent. Just a good hustle play, just a little tap on the back to say good play. Nothing more, nothing less than that."

One of the fastest ways for a rookie to endear himself to Garnett is on the defensive end, as the likes of former teammate Avery Bradley can attest. Garnett clearly values the defensive abilities of Smart, the No. 6 pick in June's draft. That's quite the compliment, considering Smart was 16 months old when Garnett made his NBA debut two decades ago.

Smart, making his second career start in Friday's game, was humbled by Garnett's show of appreciation. But he shouldn't get too sentimental. When Garnett was asked a second time about the play, he playfully joked, "Actually I didn’t [dap him up], I tried to trip his a-- up."

Smart laughed when Garnett's comments were relayed and added, "Knowing KG, I wouldn't be surprised."

Smart finished with five points on 2-of-6 shooting with six assists, four steals, three rebounds and three turnovers over 30:47. He was plus-5 in plus/minus for the game. Smart continues to find his shot (he did move inside the arc a bit Friday, which was encouraging) and is still learning how to be a playmaker at the NBA level.

"[The hustle play] was great," said Celtics coach Brad Stevens. "He got his hands on a lot of balls. I thought he was pretty good defensively all day."