The Miami Heat are not alone with their injury concerns at the point guard at the Eastern Conference Finals.
The Boston Celtics announced Monday that Marcus Smart, winner of this season’s Defensive Player of the Year award, suffered a middle leg sprain in Sunday’s Game 7, deciding the former semifinal win over the Milwaukee Bucks.
Smart is listed as a suspect for Tuesday’s 8:30 p.m. Game 1 match against the Heat at the FTX Arena, a best-of-seven series start to determine which team will play the Golden State Warriors or the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Will face
Celtics coach Ime Udoka said Smart, who took a hard fall during the first quarter of Sunday’s game but continued, “is very tender and sore.”
Smart missed game 2 of the Celtics series against the Bucks due to quad contusion.
For his part, Heat worries about a tense left hamstring injury that kept Kyle Lowry out of the final two games of his 4-2 second-round win over the Philadelphia 76ers.
Lowry, who has not played since May 8 and has missed five of the last seven games, was again limited to work for the side during the Heat’s Monday practice, later in the day formally in Tuesday night’s Game 1. listed for.
Coach Eric Spoelstra said there were no new updates, but Heat forward Jimmy Butler said he remains optimistic, while still excited by Lowry’s commitment to finding a way to make an impact.
“He’s smiling, knowing he’s close to returning,” Butler said. “But he’s doing everything he can to get back, and he’s doing everything he can to make sure we’re all prepared if he can’t go.”
Lowry spoke not only with Butler, but also with Heat playoff neofighters Max Strauss and Gabe Vincent, who have been replacement starting point guards.
Butler said, “I think that’s the thing that shows what he is most of as a person, as a leader, is he wants to succeed himself, Gabe, Max, all the way down the line. Under.” “So while we’re studying the film, he’s right next to us and making sure everyone knows what’s going on.”
The Celtics had positive injury news on Monday, with Udoka saying center Robert Williams is all set to play on Tuesday. Williams, who has been limited by a knee problem since March, was available on Sunday but did not play against the Bucks.
“He’s available, no minute restrictions,” Udoka said, with Williams taking the final four game against Milwaukee out of the mix. “I’m always going to be a little cautious with people coming out of layoffs without touching the court, but starting a new series is a little different as opposed to being injected into Game 7 or Game 6 or whatever the case was before. But he is available, looking better every day, and gaining more confidence in him.”
For the rest of the Heat’s injury report, listed as suspects are Caleb Martin (ankle sprain), Strauss (hamstring strain), PJ Tucker (calf strain) and Vincent (hamstring strain), all of whom are expected to play .
summer plans
The Golden State Warriors formally announced Monday that they will host a four-team Summer League at the Chase Center ahead of the 30-team NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The Heat will play on Warriors Court on July 2 against a similar group of young players and free agents from the Los Angeles Lakers, and then on July 3 against the Sacramento Kings’ summer roster.
The Las Vegas Summer League opens again on July 6.
Possible members of the Heat’s summer roster are forward Haywood Highsmith, two-way player Javonte Smart and Mychal Mulder, the player the Heat selected as the No. 27 pick in the June 23 NBA Draft as part of this past season’s G League roster. member, and possibly center Omar Yurtseven.
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