The Boston Celtics could be without power guard Marcus Smart for the foreseeable after the 25-year-old took a direct shot to the abdomen while attempting to take a charge against the New York Knicks.
Smart is considered day-top-day and will soon be re-evaluated after hitting the floor Sunday afternoon and requiring assistance to get off the court.
While no set time table has been set for Smart, he did miss close to one month with an oblique injury last spring. Smart missed a total of the eight games for the Celtics at the end of last season and beginning of the postseason.
“The only thing I heard is that it was, I don’t know if it’s his oblique, or right in that area, and they said, ‘It wasn’t as bad as in the past’,” head coach Brad Stevens told ESPN’s Tim Bontemps of the latest injury.
The guard himself shares a similar diagnosis.
“It wasn’t as bad as the tear, but it’s still sore and pretty tender. We’re just going to take it slow and day by day re-evaluate it [Monday], and see what we have to do,” he told Steve Bulpett of the Boston Herald.
The 14-5 Celtics have thrived in the Eastern Conference this season and will hope to get Smart back on the court as soon as possible. That being said, the notoriously tough defender could likely benefit from a chance to recover from this and a number of other minor injuries.
According to Bulpitt, Smart is also dealing with hip, ankle and finger issues.
