Celtics' Marcus Smart to miss Game 2 with thigh contusion

Celtics starting point guard Marcus Smart has been ruled out of tonight’s critical Game 2 against the Bucks with a right thigh contusion, the team has announced (Twitter link). Smart had previously been listed as questionable with the injury.

The 2022 Defensive Player of the Year had been grappling with the thigh injury ahead of Game 1 in Boston’s first-round matchup against Milwaukee. The injury worsened during the contest after Smart took contact in the region.

In Game 1 on Sunday, a 101-89 Bucks victory in Boston, Smart was limited to 10 points on 3-of-11 shooting from the floor. His Bucks counterpart Jrue Holiday, another excellent defender, scored 25 points on 8-of-20 field goal shooting.

With Smart sidelined, reserve guards Derrick White and Payton Pritchard seem primed for a minutes boost. White and Pritchard’s shooting in Game 1 was fairly inefficient in its own right. The duo combined to shoot just 4-of-14 from the field. A Bucks 2-0 series advantage heading into Milwaukee could prove close to insurmountable for Boston.