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Tim BontempsESPN
Boston Celtics coach Brad Stevens said Marcus Smart will receive an MRI on his left foot on Sunday after the guard was helped out of the field after an awkward landing as he struggled for a comeback in the fourth quarter of a season. losses 96-95 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Smart, who came into the game with an average of 13.2 points and 6.0 assists – both career highs – didn’t seem to land on anyone’s feet when he landed in front of Boston’s bench with 10 minutes, 31 seconds left. fourth trimester. But after a moment, Smart grabbed the back of his left leg and collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.
After Boston rang at the expiration, Smart was left a little off before he was finally helped to leave the yard and immediately returned to the Boston locker room by two Boston staff. He did not put any weight on his left leg while he was being helped.
“Yes, everyone was concerned about his health,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said after the game. “And he, trying to do everything possible to redirect that energy, because when a guy falls, we have to intensify.
“Marcus is essential to our team, man – it was great. Whether the numbers show or not, Marcus was the leader on this team; he was someone who sought to bring the boys the ball in the right places, including I. So for for him to come down in the middle of the game like that, he definitely had everyone interested. We hope the MRI is negative and we get it and we can get a few victories along the way. “
Smart has long been the sticker that holds the Celtics together, a fiery presence on and off the field, in addition to being one of the best and most versatile defensive players in the league. In the first month of the season, he took on a bigger role than in previous years due to the absence of Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum at the beginning of the season.
Boston, which has lost two games in a row, is leaving Monday for a five-game trip to the West Coast, which begins Tuesday in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors.