The first few days after Marcus Smart tore his oblique against the Orlando Magic on April 7 weren’t easy. The Celtics guard told reporters on Tuesday had trouble standing up on his own. Now, almost two weeks removed from the injury, Smart was seen taking shots at Celtics shootaround prior to Friday’s Game 3 against the Indiana Pacers.
Smart has made progress with his rehabilitation and told reporters in Indy he feels better walking, although he can’t run yet. According to the Boston Herald’s Mark Murphy, Smart is beyond excited about how far he has progressed, even though his return remains uncertain.
I’m still very ecstatic with the progress that I made. I’m obviously nowhere near coming back, but to be able to get back on the court, get some shots up and be able to do a little more things actively is great progress for me.
Original reports stated Smart could be back as early as the second round of the NBA Playoffs, with others reporting he won’t return sooner than the Eastern Conference Finals. It remains unclear if either estimation will prove true, given the nature of his injury.
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