Why Marcus Smart, Jayson Tatum Won’t Play For Celtics Vs. Raptors

BOSTON — Marcus Smart pushed through one game with a pinched nerve in his neck, but the Boston Celtics guard won’t play in a second straight game with the injury.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla ruled out Smart due to the ailment for Wednesday’s night matchup with the Toronto Raptors at TD Garden.

Smart was on the court for 30 minutes in Tuesday’s 103-101 loss to the Philadelphia 76ers, netting 17 points on 7-for-15 shooting to go along with four rebounds and four assists. But Smart admitted following the game that the injury limited him physically.

“Can barely turn my head to the left and it’s just stinging,” Smart told reporters, per MassLive’s Souichi Terada. “My lower left arm is going numb here and there, so just trying to play through it and be out there for my team. But it definitely hurts, so we’ll figure out what’s going on.”

Smart joins four other members of the Celtics who won’t suit up in the first of two consecutive home games against the Raptors. Celtics star Jayson Tatum will miss the contest due to a left hip contusion and Al Horford will get a rest on the second leg of a back-to-back — as he has been the case all season — because of low back stiffness.

Reserve guard Payton Pritchard will miss his 13th contest in the last 14 games due to persistent left heel pain making the Celtics even more shorthanded. Danilo Gallinari remains out as he continues his recovery from ACL surgery.

Jaylen Brown and Robert Williams will be back in the lineup as the Celtics look to lock up the Atlantic Division and possibly the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference with their tilt against the Raptors.