On the eve of the NBA playoffs, the Boston Celtics have been hit with the injury bug.
Guard Marcus Smart suffered an oblique injury in the Celtics’ Sunday night loss to the Orlando Magic. In addition, forward Jayson Tatum had to leave the game with a shin contusion.
The timing could hardly be worse for the Celtics as they prepare for the NBA playoffs to start on Saturday.
First, Jayson Tatum had to leave after six minutes after aggravating a shin injury. He had already picked up a shin contusion in a previous game, but had to leave on Sunday night after “feeling funny after jumping.”
Next, Smart left in the third quarter with what coach Brad Stevens described as an “oblique bruise.”
While no one considers any of the two injuries to be overly serious, it remains to be seen if the Celtics will miss either of the two players for any part of their playoff run.
They will face the Indiana Pacers in the first round.
Losing any of the two players would be a tough blow for Boston, as both figures are part of their starting lineup. Tatum is averaging 15.7 points per game and Smart is one of the team’s top defenders.
It remains to be seen how long their two players will be out.
