The Boston Celtics already had their work cut out for them in taking on the Indiana Pacers in the first round of the playoffs, but they were dealt a significant blow when it was revealed that guard Marcus Smart had suffered an injury to his left oblique abdominal muscle and would miss the series.
Smart has been a glue guy during his tenure in Boston, offering tenacious defense while also improving his offensive efficiency from the floor this season. The scrappy guard has a knack for harassing some of the game's best players, but the injury will force him to watch from the sidelines as the Celtics hope to make a deep postseason run.
The 24-year-old out of Oklahoma State gave a few health updates on Tuesday afternoon, telling reporters that he is still trying to manage the pain and get into the routine of walking and breathing more normally:
#Celtics Marcus Smart said injury getting better, but he's still in pain. Said toughest thing is nature of injury not being able to rehab. @CelticsCLNS @CLNSMedia pic.twitter.com/q0bYSpuPkq
— Scott Souza (@Scott_Souza) April 16, 2019
Smart on the next steps for his recovery: Walking and breathing normally
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) April 16, 2019
Smart also said that he would be returning to the bench for Game 2 to offer moral support to his teammates:
Smart says he will be on bench for Game 2
— Brian Robb (@BrianTRobb) April 16, 2019
What aches the most for Boston is knowing that even if it survives its first-round encounter with Indiana, a date with the mighty Milwaukee Bucks is on deck for the second round. Smart's injury timetable is likely to keep him out an additional three to five weeks, which would mean that he would probably be unavailable unless the Celtics were to advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Celtics and Pacers will square off in Game 2 on Wednesday night.
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