NBA Marcus Smart Not Playing For Preseason Game Due To Ankle Injury: Celtic Guard Will Miss First 2 Weeks

Boston Celtics third-year guard Marcus Smart suffered from a left ankle sprain in the second quarter of their 121-96 preseason game. The entire team likewise suffered a loss against the New York Knicks on Wednesday.

Marcus Smart stepped on the foot of Knicks' Justin Holiday, causing his leg to buckle. He collapsed on the floor and had to be carried off to the dressing room. The Celtics quickly ruled Smart out for the rest of the Knicks game.  

Marcus Smart will probably miss the first couple of weeks of the new NBA season due to this incident. But the injury was not classified as severe, according to Fox Sports. Marcus Smart, who will back up starting point guard Isaiah Thomas, averaged 9.1 points, 4.2 rebounds, and 3.0 assists in 61 games last season.

The Celtics selected the 6-4 Smart sixth overall in the 2014 draft. They will open the new season against the Brooklyn Nets on Oct. 26.

Boston Herald reports that in the Knicks game, the Celtics did not put in the frontlines four of their five starters: Thomas, Avery Bradley, Jae Crowder, and Al Horford. Only Amir Johnson was the starter who was active in the Knicks game. He was joined by Marcus Smart, Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, and Jonas Jerebko.

Meanwhile, the Knicks team did not have Carmelo Anthony and Derrick Rose actively in the game. Derrick Rose was dealing with some legal issues. It was tight in the first quarter and featured five ties and 11 lead changes. The Knicks took charge from the second quarter onwards with their fine shooting and rebounding. They hit 47.8 percent in the quarter and outrebounded the Knicks with a score of 18-9.

A bright spot for the Celtics is the inclusion of Horford, who averaged 21.9 points and 12.9 boards in the preseason. He shot 63 percent in field goals, including 71.4 percent from the 3-point range.  

Nets head coach and ex-Atlanta Hawks assistant coach Kenny Atkinson, who previously worked with Horford, noted that the latter is a really good passer out of the pick-and-roll and a great rim protector.