Marcus Smart. (Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
BOSTON (WBZ NewsRadio) — Celtics will try for a 2-0 series lead on the Pacers tonight at 7 p.m., obviously without Marcus Smart.
He's dealing with a torn oblique and said basic things like talking, laughing, and sneezing are still causing him pain. So is having to sit out the first round of the playoffs.
"You gotta just sit there knowing that there's nothing you can do, or there's nothing that no one really can do for you," he said. "You gotta kinda sit there and go through it. Being out here watching these guys and not being on the floor makes it even more tough."
Coach Brad Stevens and All-Star Kyrie Irving said you can't replace Smart, but C's will do the best they can.
"Marcus Smart does 12 things that nobody else does," Stevens said. "Everybody's gotta do one of 'em. Nobody can be Marcus Smart, we're not asking anybody to be Marcus Smart."
"I miss him, he makes my job a lot easier just because I don't have to dribble the ball as much or create as much," Irving said. "You have a second lead guard that can go out there and just really make decisions. We got a few more wins to get, and six weeks is not that long of a time. I think I can manage until then."
Maybe a peek into Smart's timeline, now 10 days removed from the injury. The guard will be on the bench tonight, cheering on his teammates—if he physically can.
WBZ NewsRadio's Adam Kaufman (@AdamMKaufman) reports