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It’s takes a lot to keep Marcus Smart out of the lineup and it appears the minor right ankle sprain he suffered late in Boston’s 99-85 win over the Phoenix Suns Monday won’t be keeping him off the floor as the Celtics continue their west coast road trip.
Smart, who sprained his ankle while trying to defend a fourth quarter baseline drive by Devin Booker, is officially listed as probable as the Celtics take on the Los Angeles Clippers in a marquee matchup Wednesday night.
Celtics say it's a sprained right ankle for Marcus Smart. Here's the baseline look from our broadcast: pic.twitter.com/kC5RgwFKHa
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 19, 2019
Smart told reporters at shootaround that “the ankle is fine.” Smart also showed off a strong drip game that also gave the inclination he would suit up against the Clippers by donning his Versace robe when he met with the media.
Marcus Smart just rolled in in his Versace robe. Methinks he’s ready to play. pic.twitter.com/1qsVXTsQ3r
— Marc D'Amico (@Marc_DAmico) November 20, 2019
Scene from shootaround:
— Chris Forsberg (@ChrisForsberg_) November 20, 2019
Marcus Smart: “Ankle's feeling fine. A little soreness, but we tested it -- running, jumping, cutting — everything came out OK. It felt great, so …”
Jaylen Brown (seated next to him): “Man, he’s a'ight.”
Smart: "Yeah, what Jaylen said."
Celtics coach Brad Stevens also felt Smart was in a good position to play and if there was any player on the C’s roster that would push through a minor injury to play, instead of sitting out for something like load management, it would be Smart.
“Our [trainers] feel good about — it didn’t swell, looks good, it may just be one of those lucky deals on a fall where it’s not as bad as it looks,” Stevens said. “But there’s no questioning Marcus’s toughness.”
This season, Marcus Smart is averaging 11.8 points, 4.9 assists and 3.4 rebounds per game while also shooting 37.2 percent from 3-point range.