Hawks’ Josh Smith expected to start Game 2

The status of Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith was in question after he missed Monday’s practice due to a sprained ankle. However, Smith alleviated the doubt yesterday, as he returned to practice and told reporters – including Chris Vivlamore of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution – that he plans to start Game 2.The Hawks leading scorer could still feel the impact of the sprained ankle Tuesday, but he said that he should be good to go for tonight’s contests against the Indiana Pacers.“I should be all right,” Smith said. “It’s still a little sore but it’s playoff time and I have to suck it up.”Considering it’s the NBA Playoffs, I don’t know that there was much question if Smith would play tonight. He suffered the ankle injury during Game 1, when he stepped on the foot of teammate Devin Harris in the fourth quarter.It’s to be determined if the ankle injury impacts his performance tonight. Still, the Hawks figure to be a better team with their leading scorer on the court.Follow @hoopsinjurynews