Marcus Smart to make Celtics return vs. Nets
The Boston Celtics are struggling this season. The team thought things might come together after two failed stints in the NBA playoffs. One of the main reasons for the team’s decline this season has been the absence of guard Marcus Smart, who has been dealing with a calf strain.
Smart went down with the calf strain against the Los Angeles Lakers back in late January. The injury was thought to be worse than it was diagnosed, but it turned out to be a strain rather than a tear. The veteran guard is now expected to return for the clash against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night, according to ESPN.
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Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart says he should be good to go when the Celtics begin the second half of their season in Brooklyn against the Nets on Thursday night.
Smart talked about his return to the floor and how he’s ready to get back to work.
“I feel great,” said Smart. “Today was the first day to really get out there and play 5-on-5 and get contact and really press it to the limit to see. It felt really good. It was hard to really do stuff over the break, 5-on-5, stuff like that. So today was the first time, and it felt great.
“So they cleared me and said if today went well, I’m most likely going to play tomorrow unless something changed. But as of right now, I will be playing in the game tomorrow,” Smart said Wednesday.
Read: Joe Douglas Must Defy Expectations This Offseason
Heading into the second half of the 2020-21 NBA season, the Celtics are sporting a record of 19-17, which has the team in the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Philadelphia 76ers, Nets and Milwaukee Bucks.
Although Boston is in fourth, few believe this team can compete for a title this season without some major tweaking of the roster.
