Marcus Smart Says He's Okay After Spraining Ankle Vs. Suns
BOSTON (CBS) -- Marcus Smart limped off the floor late in Monday night's 99-85 Celtics win over the Phoenix Suns, but the guard says he'll be okay for the rest of Boston's road trip.
Smart landed awkwardly on his right foot early in the fourth quarter while guarding Suns star Devin Booker along the baseline, and immediately waved for help. He limped off the floor with help from Boston's medical staff and did not return.
While the injury didn't look good, Smart sounded upbeat after Boston's victory. He said he would have returned if the game was closer, but didn't want to risk anything. He also expects to be in the lineup when the Celtics visit the L.A. Clippers on Wednesday night.
"Ankle's okay," Smart said after the victory. "It wasn't a lot of swelling, it was minimal swelling for it. I'm able to walk, I'm able to still shift and plant and move side to side, so that's good. Just re-irritated the exact same ankle that I was coming back from in the exact same spot. But everything's okay. I should be fine to play the rest of this road trip."
Smart said he'd use Boston's day off Tuesday to get the necessary treatment, but had there been a game Tuesday night, he would have played.
Boston's defensive bulldog has been taking a beating on the court this season, but he hasn't let that deter him from having a career year. In addition to his stellar defensive play, Smart is averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 assists and 1.2 steals per game. He's also turned into a solid shooter, hitting 38 percent of his shots, and is now a legit three-point threat as well, hitting 37 percent of his bids from downtown.
Before getting hurt Monday night, Smart put in 17 points to go with four assists, three rebounds and two steals in his 30 minuets of action.
