The Boston Celtics have fared just fine this postseason, getting their first win in Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks without their leading scorer Kyrie Irving, who is out for the season, and their spark plug off the bench, Marcus Smart.
Smart has “100 percent” healed from the UCL tear in his left thumb and is now at the stages of gaining back his muscle memory, aiming for a return by the lates stages of the first round or early in the second round.
“[Rehab] is going well. I'm trying to stay in shape,” said Smart, according to Jay King of The Athletic. “Today was the first day with the new splint on to actually get out here and do something. So the thumb felt well. And like I said, we're on track for the next three weeks, possibly Game 7 of the first round, definitely second round. So we're on the right path.”
Smart said the ligament in his thumb was completely “fixed” and that neither the Celtics or him would try to rush anything, letting recovery take its natural course.
“Right now, it's trying to get that muscle back strong and everything,” added Smart. “The ligament's fixed. It's 100-percent healed. Now it's just kind of getting that muscle memory back into it and getting it back used to playing through contact.”
The Celtics survived an overtime thriller against the Bucks, taking over in the extra period with help from their young players — a fortitude they will ultimately need to get through the series.
Follow Us
Subscribe