Marcus Smart questionable for Celtics-Heat Game 1 with foot injury

BOSTON (CBS) — Marcus Smart took a beating during Boston’s seven-game series win over the Milwaukee Bucks. Trying to guard Giannis Antetokounmpo does that to most players.

The Celtics don’t have a lot of time to recover from that grueling series, either, with their Eastern Conference showdown with the Miami Heat tipping off Tuesday night in South Beach. After Smart took a huge fall in Sunday’s Game 7 victory over the Bucks, he’ll be bringing some bumps and bruises into Boston’s next series.

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Celtics head coach Ime Udoka revealed Monday that Smart suffered a right mid-foot sprain during Game 7, and will be listed as questionable for Tuesday’s Game 1 in Miami.

“He’s tender and sore right now, but we’ll get him around the clock treatment,” said Udoka.

ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski tweeted a short time later that Smart underwent an MRI on his right foot, which came back clean. That bodes well for the Celtics having the 2022 Defensive Player of the Year for Game 1, but whether he plays or not will be decided sometime on Tuesday.

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Smart was all over the map defensively against the Bucks, and hit the floor several times trying to draw charges on Antetokounmpo. He missed Game 2 with a quad injury, but returned for the final five games of the series. Smart averaged 14.0 points off 41 percent shooting and 5.7 assists in his six games against Milwaukee. He came up huge in Game 6 with 21 points off 5-for-9 shooting from downtown, and scored 11 points to go with 10 assists in Boston’s Game 7 win.

Udoka had a much more promising update on Celtics center Robert Williams, who missed the final four games against Milwaukee with left knee soreness. Williams was available for Game 7 “as needed” but did not play. It sounded like Williams will get some run against the Heat on Tuesday night.

“No minutes restriction,” said Udoka. “I’m cautious about guys coming off a layoff, but it’s a little different starting a new series than being injected in Game 6 or 7. He’s available and looking better every day.”

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The Heat, meanwhile, will likely be without point guard Kyle Lowry on Tuesday. He did not practice Monday as he recovers from a left hamstring injury that has forced him to sit out six of Miami’s last eight games.