The Boston Celtics are limping to the finish of the 2017-18 regular season, and they’re going to be versatile guard Marcus Smart at least until the playoffs.
According to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski, Smart will undergo surgery on his injured right thumb Friday. The procedure is expected to sideline him into the postseason, but “there’s hope” Smart could return then.
Boston currently holds a 46-22 record but is five games behind the Toronto Raptors for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
While the Celtics are a playoff lock, they desperately need Kyrie Irving to overcome a sore knee, Al Horford to be healthy and Jaylen Brown to recover from a terrifying landing. Throw in Smart’s injury with Gordon Hayward’s absence, and Boston is a battered bunch.
Smart has averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assists, 3.5 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game this season. The Celtics will miss his ability to handle the ball while playing aggressive defense on the other end.