If there's ever anyone to leave it all on the court for the Boston Celtics, it's Marcus Smart. Unfortunately for the defensive-minded guard, his efforts were costly on Saturday night.
As the Celtics wrapped up their road trip against the San Antonio Spurs, Smart made an early departure in the third quarter. The injury came after Spurs' Zach Collins set a pick behind Smart which positioned a knee-to-knee collision between the two. Smart went down before he required assistance to make his way to the locker room. Boston proceeded to rule Smart out for the remainder of the contest due to a left knee contusion after he played 22 minutes.
Following the 121-116 Celtics victory, Smart offered a brief update and noted that he will undergo an MRI on Sunday, per The Boston Globe's Gary Washburn.
"Yeah I'm walking," Smart said, as transcribed by Washburn. "But it's a slow walk."
Smart finished the night with five points, two rebounds and four assists. He knocked down 2-of-4 field goal attempts and also recorded a block. And through 40 games into Boston's campaign, Smart has missed only four contests.
Joe Mazzulla also touched on the health status of the long-tenured Celtic after the win. Mazzulla highlighted Smart's optimism while he wasn't able to provide any clear-cut answers regarding the injury.
"Yeah he's doing OK," Mazzulla said, as seen on NBC Sports Boston's postgame coverage. "I haven't got an update yet from the medical team but he seemed to be in great spirits."