The Boston Celtics were the victims of a beatdown in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals against the Milwaukee Bucks. The 101-89 defeat was made worse by the fact that Marcus Smart picked up a pair of injuries, both of which appeared to leave the Defensive Player of the Year in pain. While Smart toughed it out and played through the ailments, head coach Ime Udoka revealed that he's still pretty banged up ahead of Game 2, and offered a worrying update on the point guard, via Jay King.
Udoka revealed that Smart is dealing with a contusion in his quad which the Celtics coach described as being “pretty bad.” As of now, the Celtics are listing Smart as questionable for Game 2, which sings a slightly different tune than what was said in the aftermath of the Game 1 loss. As for Smart's shoulder, which appeared to get dislocated during the first half, Udoka indicated the injury wasn't a concern.
If Smart isn't able to go in Game 2 that would be a crucial loss for the Celtics, particularly on defense. In his absence, the Celtics would be forced to rely more heavily upon Payton Pritchard and Derrick White, neither of whom offer the defensive prowess or tenacity that Smart brings to the team.
In Game 1, Smart logged 10 points and 6 assists while shooting 3-for-11 from the field and 1-for-6 from 3-point range across 33 minutes. He briefly left the game after sustaining the shoulder injury in the first half but returned to the game and soldiered on.
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