BOSTON -- We knew Marcus Smart was getting close to returning from his torn oblique injury, but this soon?
Smart, who has been cleared for contact and did some 5-on-5 and 3-on-3 work yesterday, said he is “hopeful” he will be able to play in Boston's Game 4 matchup against Milwaukee on Monday.
If so, that would put his return just one day beyond the shortest window given at the time of his injury, for his return.
As far as his Game 4 availability, "That'll be totally up to the training staff and how he feels," said Boston head coach Brad Stevens. "It has nothing to do with me. I'll get their cues and go from there."
During the Saturday workout session, Smart said he even took a blow to his oblique when he did a very Marcus Smart-like thing in taking a charge.
After the blow, Smart said he felt fine afterward.
"Now it's just wait and see how I feel," Smart said. "I'm close. (Game 4) is still up for grabs. I have to see how I feel in the morning when I wake up. Hopefully everything feels fine. We know injuries can be a little tricky. Hopefully this is not the case."
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Celtics forward Semi Ojeleye said he watched Smart's workout on Saturday and came away impressed.
“He looked great,” Ojeleye told NBC Sports Boston. “He looks like he's ready to go.”
There's the obvious benefit of having Smart, one of the league's better perimeter defenders, available.
But as Ojeleye points out, Smart brings more to the floor than just his play.
“He brings so much emotion to the game, something we've been missing, “ Ojeleye said.
Smart suffered a torn oblique injury against the Orlando Magic on April 7. Soon after the injury, the Celtics released a 4-6 week time frame before he would return although head coach Brad Stevens has repeatedly said his return would likely be closer to the six-week time frame.
Today marks four weeks to the day since Smart suffered his injury and his first day of being a full participant in practice.
Smart has been a defensive fixture for the Celtics in their ascension to being one of the NBA’s better teams defensively.
And while Boston showed no signs of defensive slippage in disposing of the Indiana Pacers in just four games, his absence has become noticeable in Boston’s struggles against the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks who hold a 2-1 series lead with Game 4 set for Monday.
Smart appeared in a career-high 80 games this season, averaging 8.9 points while shooting career-bests from the field (42.2 percent) and from 3-point range (36.4) while still playing at an all-NBA level defensively.
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