Celtics starting point guard Marcus Smart and starting center Robert Williams have both been listed as questionable for a critical Game 5 tomorrow in their Eastern Conference Finals series against the Heat, Boston announced (Twitter link).
Smart has a right ankle sprain. Williams missed Game 3 with a sore knee, but proved to be a key defensive contributor in Boston’s 102-82 blowout Game 4 victory over Miami.
The Heat, meanwhile, have listed a whopping five role players as questionable ahead of Wednesday’s home contest. Miami has announced (via Twitter) that starting point guard Kyle Lowry, starting shooting guard Max Strus, starting power forward P.J. Tucker, and crucial reserves Gabe Vincent and Tyler Herro all have murky availability for the next game in the 2-2 series.
Lowry, Strus and Vincent are all grappling with hamstring injuries, while Tucker is dealing with left knee irritation. Lowry missed the first two games of the series with his left hamstring strain, and returned in a productive Game 3. In that game, Lowry chipped in 11 points, six assists and four steals. Vincent started in Lowry’s stead for the first two contests. Smart and Herro both sat for Game 4.
Herro was sidelined for Game 4 with a groin injury he suffered during Game 3, a 109-103 Heat victory. The injury could be a lingering problem.
“From what I’m told, this is an injury, this groin injury he has, that would normally keep him out two-to-four weeks if this was the regular season, but he is pushing really hard to play, either in the next game or the game after that,” Ramona Shelburne said today during an ESPN appearance (Twitter video link).
In addition to Game 4, Smart – the newly-minted Defensive Player of the Year – also missed Game 1 of the series due to a right mid-foot sprain. He has been incredibly productive when available during the series, averaging 20.0 PPG, 9.5 APG, and 6.5 RPG in the second and third contests of these Eastern Conference Finals.
All-Star Miami swingman Jimmy Butler, who missed the second half of a Game 3 Heat win with right knee inflammation and struggled offensively in Game 4, has not been listed on Miami’s injury report.
Not having Herro hurts them a lot. There aren’t a lot of guys on Miami that can make their own shot. White is a lesser version of Smart, and if the Celtics don’t have Rob Williams they just play Grant and Horford more minutes.
Miami doesn’t have anyone to step in that can put up points even remotely as well as Herro can.
Victor Oladipo can step in & be a better, more versatile, more experienced version of Herro’s overall game & Duncan is more than capable of making up for Herro’s 3pt threat. Miami will be alright. They could def win the title whether Herro plays another game or not
Lol rethought that 1 did ya? Smart move
haha. dude. You talked about a Hawks dynasty all last year, and I am usually too nice to remind you. So I was trying to be nice.
You’re kinda silly bro.
Oladipo scored 23 points in Game 4 Herro averaged 20
The “averaged” part is what’s important. Not one good game.
The 2 all star selections are what’s important.
Yeah, I don’t know why Spoelstra was playing Herro all those minutes over Oladipo. He obviously has no idea what he is doing. I mean, sure, it’s been since 2018 since Dipo has played more than 36 games in a season, but yeah, he is way better than Herro.
Don’t know what I was thinking. Those all star selections all those years ago is what matters.
Actually you think you’re being smart but you’re actually correct so glad we agree have a nice day Check Herros playoff stats this year and the Defensive Player of the Year Award Herro was under consideration for…
I will take Spoelstra’s opinion over yours. Unless of course this is Pat Riley’s burner account.
Dipo has been average at best for years. You arguing he is better than Herro is just kinda silly.
2018 is over man.
Whatever Dipos play in Games 3 (defensively) and Game 4 speaks for itself.I am not comparing the 2 just responding to your claim that no one can replace Herros scoring off the bench when Dipo did exactly that in Game 4. Simply put Dipo is an adequate replacement for Herro at worst but you want to compare players so go at it my man!
Ok buddy. I gotta admit, Dipo sure looked good last night.
Better luck next year.
This postseason, in 24 minutes a game, he is averaging 10 points and shooting 29 percent from 3.
All star in 2018 though.
Spoelstra looked real good too Butler Lowry Strus 4 for 30 7 for 43 three pointers
Maybe they could have used Herro?
Nah, you were right.
Maybe they could have used
Butler
Lowry
Strus
Who were all horrible. Herro has not played well the entire playoffs, and his defense is questionable at best. If Herro was killing it I would be the first to agree with you but unfortunately this isn’t 2020. Spoelstra put Dipo in with the Heat down 11-6, he then, for some reason, took him out and put Lowry back in with the Heat up.by 5 or something 40-35. They then lost the lead in the second quarter and the starters got blown out in the third quarter.Maetin had 7 points in 7 minutes in the first half and didn’t come back in until the last minute of the third quarter why? Although Dipo did not get on track offensively in the 15 minutes he played he had 5 boards and made some good defensive plays but certainly was not the reason they blew it last night Coach Spoelstra being outvoached and the horrible shooting of ButlerLowryStrus was.
If Williams doesn’t play, then Daniel Theis does which allows Bam to complete own the offensive and defensive paint – just look at his game 3 numbers and go back to the playoff series in the bubble where Bam was unstoppable. Celtic’s need Williams to win the series. It’s that simple.
Robert “TimeLord” Williams surely makes this Celtics team truly special!
But if TimeLord doesn’t go, Coach will start Grant Williams. Our D just didn’t work at all when he started Theis. I like Theis but starting him lost us that game.
Go Celtics!
Heat hurting and limping lols. Ain’t working they are done. I was rooting for them. But Warriors vs a healthy team, Celtics is a better Finals. Sorry Heat fans.
You dont see GS sitting Klay thompson when he goes 5/17…Heat need Duncan Robinson, among others. I know I’ll be pissed off in my seat tomorrow night, if I dont see the adjustment finally made
Bad comparison Klay is a + defender even when his shot is off
Klay wasn’t that good on either end the last 3 healthy years before his injury, nor this year (although this is his best year in 4 years, mostly b/c his offense has been better with more options around him), and Duncan Robonson hasnt been nearly as bad as the narrative claims. Also, when he misses shots, he is still guarded by multiple people, which opens up the floor for others, which has been an issue for the Heat
BOS had a great second half to the season, and, in the playoff matchups, its become apparently why. Talent. They seem to have had a significant advantage in it in each series (although, in fairness, MIL was without KM throughout essentially, and he could have easily have closed the gap). Aside from KM, I think the plethora of injuries and missed games have been a wash.
I still think BOS is missing something that MIA has. Maybe it’s MIA’s grit at least among its best players, or MIA’s comfort level in their system. BOS took forever to seize control of the MIL series, and looked a little asleep at the wrong time in this one. But it’s a talent league until the match up says otherwise, or Doc Rivers is coaching, and BOS now has a series lead. I hope MIA comes back (and they do have Gm 7 at home), but it’s hard to see if BOS stays focused. Before the playoffs started, I saw all these series’ as coin flips. Now I think BOS was the favorite all along, I just didn’t see it.