The Boston Celtics sit in second place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 55-25. They are three games behind the Milwaukee Bucks for first place and three in front of the Philadelphia 76ers for third. When the Celtics take on the Toronto Raptors, the ninth-seeded team in the East, the question remains: Is Marcus Smart playing tonight against the Raptors?

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Marcus Smart injury status vs. Raptors

Marcus Smart was initially listed as “questionable” on the NBA's injury report with left neck spasms. The bad news for Celtics fans is that the reigning Defensive Player of the Year has now been ruled out for Friday's clash. 

Malcolm Brogdon and Jaylen Brown will both be out of commission as well for Boston, while Derrick White is expected to play. 

A left neck sprain kept Smart out of Boston's 97-93 win over the Raptors on Wednesday. It was after the Celtics listed him as questionable before the team's second-to-last game of the regular season.

Smart, a three-time selection to an All-Defensive team and a Defensive Player of the Year in the 2021-22 season, is scoring 11.5 points, grabbing 3.1 rebounds and dishing 6.3 assists per game in 61 starts for the Celtics this season. He scored a season-high of 22 points in matchups with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Charlotte Hornets, helping guide Boston to wins in both home matchups.

The Celtics have won three of their last four games and seven of their previous 10. Smart scored 10 points and dished eight assists when Boston earned a 140-99 victory over the Bucks in late March, a game that saw forward Jayson Tatum and guard Jaylen Brown combine for 70 points.

Raptors forward Otto Porter Jr. and guard Jeff Dowtin Jr. were listed as “out.”

The Celtics will tip off against the Raptors at 7:30 p.m. EDT on Friday in TD Garden. The game will be broadcasted on NBC Sports Boston.

Is Marcus Smart playing tonight against the Raptors? The answer is no.