Shortly after Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart said he was “hopeful” to play in Game 4 of the Celtics’ Eastern Conference semifinals showdown with the Milwaukee Bucks, the Celtics upgraded Smart from out to questionable on their official injury report.
Smart was originally given a four-to-six week recovery timeline on April 11, four days after sustaining a tear in his left oblique. If Smart returns to the Celtics’ lineup for Game 4, he’ll have returned to the court at the earliest anticipated date.
With Boston down 2-1 to Milwaukee in the semifinal round, the Celtics likely are feeling the pressure to defeat the Bucks in Game 4 lest they go down by a typically insurmountable 3-1 deficit heading back to Milwaukee. Having Smart on the court, even if he’s not at full strength, would go a long way towards helping Boston advance to the Eastern Conference Finals.
His communication, limitless hustle and energy and his knack for making impact plays on the defensive end should help breathe extra life into a Celtics team that still struggles to play with the necessary energy and urgency for a full 48 minutes.
If Smart does suit up for Boston on Monday, there’s been no word of whether he’ll be on a minutes restriction.
