The Boston Celtics might be without Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart on Tuesday night when they open the Eastern Conference finals against the Miami Heat.
The Boston sparkplug is dealing with a foot injury, head coach Ime Udoka told reporters Monday. Smart, per Udoka, sprained his foot in the Celtics' Game 7 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday. He's currently considered questionable for the series opener in Miami.
Shortly after Udoka's revelation, ESPN's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Smart underwent an MRI to determine whether there was any bigger damage done. According to Wojnarowski, the MRI came back clean, and Boston is hopeful Smart can give it a go.
Smart obviously is an important part of the Celtics' stifling defense as evidenced by the regular-season hardware. He could be especially important against the Heat where he'd renew his rivalry with Miami star Jimmy Butler. The two have done a bit of battling in the past, and Butler comes in on a roll. He's clearly Miami's top option and he was a menace against Philadelphia, especially late in the series, when he averaged 32 points per game over the final four contests in that series.
