The Celtics coach, Brad Stevens, said Marcus Smart will undergo an MRI on his left leg Sunday after the guard was helped off the court after a heavy fall while fighting for a rebound in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 96 loss. -95 against the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday night.
Smart, who came into the game averaging 13.2 points and 6.0 assists per game, both career highs, didn’t seem to fall on anyone’s feet when he fell to the Boston bench with 10:31 remaining in the fourth quarter. But, after a moment, Smart grabbed the back of his left leg and collapsed to the ground, writhing in pain.
After Boston called a timeout, Smart stayed for a while, before two team personnel helped him off the court and immediately took him to the locker room. He didn’t put any weight on his left leg as they helped him down.
“Yeah, everyone was concerned about his health,” Celtics star Jaylen Brown said after the game. “And him alone, trying to do our best to redirect that energy, because when a guy falls, we have to step forward.
“Marcus is essential to our team, he’s been great. Whether the numbers show it or not, Marcus has been a leader on this team, he’s been someone who’s been looking for guys to get the ball in the right places, including me. So seeing him go down like that definitely had everyone worried. Hopefully the MRI is negative, let’s get him back and we can get some wins on the road. “
Smart has long been the glue that holds the Celtics together, a fiery presence on and off the court, as well as being one of the best and most versatile defensive players in the League. During the first month of the season, he has taken a bigger role in creating plays than in previous years due to the absences of Kemba Walker and Jayson Tatum earlier in the season.
Boston, which has lost two games in a row and begins a five-game trip to the West Coast on Monday that begins Tuesday in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors.
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