The Atlanta Hawks stormed back to life in their NBA Playoffs first-round series on Friday night with a 130-122 win over the Boston Celtics. The Hawks have now made it 2-1 and will be looking to tie the series up when they host the Celtics again on Sunday for Game 4.
Unfortunately for Boston, it now sounds like they could be without their star point guard Marcus Smart in this all-important matchup after the 2022-23 Defensive Player of the Year popped up on the injury report with a concerning back problem.
Marcus Smart injury status for Game 4 vs. Hawks
At this point, Smart's status for Sunday's clash is up in the air after the Celtics listed him as questionable to play due to a lower back contusion. The 29-year-old took a hard fall in the fourth quarter of Game 3 and it was later revealed that he is currently dealing with a sore tailbone. Smart isn't exactly the most durable player out there, so it's now very much possible that he ends up sidelined for Sunday's contest.
If Smart is unable to go then head coach Joe Mazzulla will most probably call on Robert Williams to start in Game 4. Malcolm Brogdon is also likely to play a more significant role if Smart sits out, and the same should be the case for Derrick White.
In other injury news, the Celtics have listed Jaylen Brown as available for Game 4 despite still dealing with a facial injury. Danilo Gallinari remains out as he continues to rehab his surgically-repaired left knee.
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