When the Celtics go for their fourth straight win Friday night against the Philadelphia 76ers, they’ll do so without starting point guard Marcus Smart. Smart, who was originally listed as questionable earlier in the week as he entered the NBA’s health & safety protocols, was ruled out for the game Friday morning.
Smart has been the Celtics primary starting point guard this year. In 38 games he’s averaging 11.6 points, 5.3 assists, and 1.9 steals per game. The Celtics are 1-3 when he doesn’t play this season.
The Celtics are just a few weeks removed from a wide-spread COVID outbreak within the locker room that impacted nearly every player on the roster. At the beginning of the week, the Celtics players had missed almost 150 cumulative games in the league’s health & safety protocols.
Besides missing Smart, the Celtics are expected to be at full go against the Sixers. No other players appeared on Friday’s injury report.
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Alex Barth is a writer and digital producer for 985TheSportsHub.com. Any opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect those of 98.5 The Sports Hub, Beasley Media Group, or any subsidiaries. Thoughts? Comments? Questions? Looking for a podcast guest? Let him know on Twitter @RealAlexBarth or via email at abarth@985TheSportsHub.com.