Marcus Smart hasn’t played since early March because of a thumb injury, but he hopes to only miss one more game for the Celtics.
“Right now, [a Game 6 return is] the plan and we’re still on the same track,” Smart said earlier today (via Chris Forsberg of ESPN.com). “I’ve been doing everything but contact, so I will be able to go and start that.”
Smart will have his thumb reevaluated on Tuesday in New York and he believes that he’ll be cleared to play.
“The surgery did its job,” said Smart.“Thumb is holding up well. I feel ready, I feel strong enough to get back out there. I’m just waiting on the OK.”
Boston lost the last two games against Milwaukee to bring the series to 2-2. Smart has been participating in shootarounds before each of the Celtics’ playoff games, in an effort to avoid being rusty upon return and being comfortable in the splint he will have to wear on his finger.
“Actually [the splint and tape is] real comfortable. It feels like nothing’s there,” he said. “To have that comfortability, especially in my dominant hand, my shooting hand, that’s a good feeling to have.”
He will need to prove he learned from this idiotic injury, before anyone gives him a new contract.
I know he’s relatively young but Smart needs to start acting like leader. Easy to see how Jaylen and Tatum already have that maturity. Smart and Morris have toughness and grit, but they gotta start playing smarter. Ending up on the wrong side of technicals foul is getting old.