When will Marcus Smart return to play for the Boston Celtics?
Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart says there is a strong possibility that he will be back to play against the Milwaukee Bucks for Game 3 on Saturday.
The Boston Celtics may have Marcus Smart on the court for Game 3 of the NBA playoff second round, as the guard has announced that there is a “strong likelihood” that he can return from his injury. He was able to put in some practice time on Thursday.
Marcus Smart: Old injury was aggravated
The 28-year-old sustained a contusion on his quadriceps in Sunday’s Game 1 against the Milwaukee Bucks. He was unable to play for the second game of the semifinals, which the Celtics won 109-86.
Smart was injured in the exact same place where he was hurt in January.
“It’s literally the exact same one in the exact same spot. It’s just re-aggravating the same injury that I’ve been dealing with,” he said.
Quad injury prevents movements for defense
The contusion has prevented him from bending his knee to prepare for defense or an explosive movement. But the Oklahoma State alum says he and the training staff are working hard on rehabilitating his leg, and they are hopeful that he will have enough range of motion to be able to play this weekend.
“If I’m out there, I should be able to do the things that I was doing, or I shouldn’t be out there,” he said.
Smart has been with the Celtics since they drafted him in 2014. The 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year has averaged 15.2 points and 6.8 assists per game in the postseason.
The Celtics head to Milwaukee to face the Bucks in Game 3 on Saturday, May 7, at the Fiserv Forum. Tip-off is at 3:30 p.m. ET / 12:30 p.m. PT. The semifinal series is currently tied at 1-1.