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Tim BontempsESPN
BOSTON – The Boston Celtics know who they will play in the first round of the playoffs of the NBA.
Now, however, they have to wait to see if two injured Celtics will be ready when the Boston playoffs start here against the Indiana Pacers next weekend.
The Celtics not only lost to the Orlando Magic at TD Garden on Sunday night, 116-108, but Boston also lost guard Marcus Smart and forward Jayson Tatum from his injuries. Smart suffered a sprain in the left oblique, said a source to Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN, although his trainer Brad Stevens called this injury a bruise. Tatum has a bruise on the left tibia.
Both players left the game early and did not return and were not in the locker room when reporters entered the post game game. Judging by Stevens' post-game commentary, neither one nor the other – as well as several other Celtics pillars – will play in the Boston season finale on Tuesday in Washington .
"Tonight's goal was to try – because we will not play [a playoff game] Until Saturday, maybe Sunday, it was about getting a real match for some of our starters and our seven or eight best players, Stevens said. But these guys will play a lot less Tuesday, if at all.
The much more immediate concern, however, was the status of Smart and Tatum. Smart, in particular, was concerned about the circumstances in which he was injured. After running Evan Fournier down the lane, he stumbled upon Magic's center, Nikola Vucevic, and crashed to the floor, holding him by the side.
Boston finally called a timeout and Smart limped up to the bench – only to convince the training staff that he was fine and that he could stay in the game. But after the Celtics got the ball for offensive possession – a possession on which Smart was clearly acting cautiously – Smart called the bench to replace him, as he retreated into defense before falling to the ground, holding his side.
"It felt like there was spasm during this second trip down the court," Stevens said.
Smart will eventually get up and go to the locker room with the help of coaches.
"We'll see what it looks like tomorrow," said Stevens. "He was a little sore but was walking in the locker room, which was good."
Stevens added that Tatum, meanwhile, had previously had a tibial bruise even before Sunday's game, but that he had gone through the training session without any spirits and unhindered training.
However, this changed once the game started and Tatum was released after just six minutes.
"This has never been said because it was something that would prevent it from playing," Stevens said. "He did the whole session this morning, he warmed up, he did all his training and he felt good.
"[But] for some reason, when he jumped in the first quarter, he felt it. "
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