The first half of Saturday's game in Toronto was a nightmare for the Boston Celtics.
Marcus Smart went down with what initially appeared to be a serious ankle injury. The veteran C's guard couldn't put any weight on his right leg as he was helped off the court. He was ruled out for the remainder of the game.
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Big man Robert Williams also did not play the second half after tweaking his surgically-repaired left knee in a collision with Jaylen Brown. Williams played another 10 minutes after the incident, but he was later ruled out with a left knee hyperextension.
The Celtics overcame Smart and Williams' absences to pull off a thrilling 106-104 win over the Raptors. But after the game, the focus quickly shifted to the statuses of their two key starters.
Fortunately, C's interim coach Joe Mazzulla had a positive update to share.
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“Rob hyperextended his knee,” Mazzulla said. “It’s nothing serious, just obviously taking precaution. He felt good coming off the court. Smart, obviously you saw, sprained his ankle. X-Rays were negative, it’s just a matter of how he’s able to cope with it day-to-day.”
Celtics fans can breathe a sigh of relief.
Despite the positive news, it would be a surprise to see Smart or Williams suit up for Monday's game in Orlando. Boston could opt to play it safe for the rest of the road trip and reassess when they return to TD Garden on Thursday.