Even though the Boston Celtics lost to the playoff-hungry Orlando Magic on Sunday evening, they officially clinched home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs thanks to the Indiana Pacers' loss to the Brooklyn Nets earlier in the day. That was the good news.
The bad news was that their defensive leader, Marcus Smart, had to be helped off the floor after suffering an injury to his side. Trying to crash down in to the paint on defense, Smart collided with Magic big man Nikola Vucevic and immediately crumpled to the ground in pain. He tried to play through the injury, but went down again on the next possession, and had to be helped to the locker room.
Smart did not return to the game, which certainly puts a bit of fear into the Celtics and their fans with the playoffs just days away now. However, it appears he's avoided a serious injury, as the team diagnosed him with a "left hip contusion."
After the game, coach Brad Stevens told reporters, "We'll see what that looks like. He's really sore. But he was walking around, which is good, in the locker room."
It's too early to know what the timeline will be for Smart's recovery, but the Celtics will be hoping he's ready to go come Game 1 of their first-round series next week. He may not put up big numbers, but he's a key part of their team, and one of the best perimeter defenders in the league.
