Marcus Smart exited early in the fourth quarter of the Boston Celtics' showdown with the Los Angeles Lakers. The defensive anchor went down with a non-contact leg injury and hobbled his way to the locker room.
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It was definitely not the sight that Celtics fans want to see.
Marcus Smart left after playing 26 minutes in the heated battle with their archrivals. He finished with four points, two rebounds and seven assists, while making two of his seven shot attempts.
Article Continues BelowAccording to the latest updates on his injury, per Shams Charania of The Athletic and Stadium, the team deemed the injury as a left calf strain. However, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, the 26-year-old will undergo MRI on Sunday to determine the extent of his injury.
Sure enough, it is unfortunate for the Celtics, as they were just getting everybody healthy after some early-season injury woes. Kemba Walker just came back from knee surgery just a couple of weeks ago. Jayson Tatum and Robert Williams also missed some time due to COVID-19 health and safety protocols and just returned earlier this week. Now, it seems like they will be down another key piece.
With a full squad, the Celtics are undoubtedly one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, especially with the emergence of Tatum and Jaylen Brown as legitimate two-way stars. If Smart has to miss some time though, Boston will certainly miss his irreplaceable hustle and energy on the defensive end.