Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is having a strong year so far, averaging career highs in points and assists. But Smart suffered a setback when he went down with a calf injury in the Celtics’ 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday.
The 26-year-old suffered the non-contact injury in the fourth quarter of the game and crumpled to the floor in pain while holding the back of his leg. After the Celtics called a timeout, the sixth overall pick of the 2014 NBA Draft remained on the floor before being helped by staff members to the team’s locker room.
Despite a late-game rally led by Jayson Tatum, Boston could not overcome Smart's absence against Los Angeles. Kemba Walker and Daniel Theis missed shots in the final seconds that could have won the game.
Marcus Smart's injury, which is officially a Grade 1 tear of his right medial gastrocnemius, will sideline him for 2-3 weeks. The Celtics announced the news after a prior report suggested he could miss 1-2 weeks:
Here’s what I learned today: something called a gastrocnemius exists. pic.twitter.com/x95LjNykzd
— Tim Bontemps (@TimBontemps) January 31, 2021
There was initially concern that this injury would be much worse, so this diagnosis isn't too bad. In a post on Twitter, the Oklahoma State product remained optimistic and believes that his teammates can step up in his absence while also thanking fans for their prayers:
💛 be back in no time💛
The ☘️ squad got this!
Thanks for all the 🙏🏾 pic.twitter.com/FLNsyqD3W1— marcus smart (@smart_MS3) January 31, 2021
Smart is averaging 13.1 points and 6.1 assists while adding 2.8 rebounds and 1.8 steals per game. He's shooting 39.4% from the field and 31.1% from beyond the arc in 17 games.
The loss to the Lakers was the Celtics’ second straight after a loss to the San Antonio Spurs, dropping them to 10-8 on the season. Without Marcus Smart, a two-time member of the All-Defensive First Team, Boston will embark on a five-game road trip, beginning with a game against the Golden State Warriors on Tuesday.
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