Update #1, May 6, 5:17 PM: Brad Stevens has said that Marcus Smart will not start tonight (Adam Himmelsbach of The Boston Globe).
The Boston Celtics will welcome guard Marcus Smart back to their lineup before Game 4 of their second-round series, the team announced on Twitter. Smart has been sidelined with an oblique injury since early April.
Smart will rejoin the C’s just in time to help his squad even their best-of-seven series with the Milwaukee Bucks two games apiece. Smart averaged 8.9 points and 4.0 assists per game for Boston throughout the regular season.
Smart played in 80 games for the Celtics this year, starting 60 of them, and has long been a major part of Brad Stevens’ rotation, more for his physical presence on the defensive end than anything else.
In Smart’s absence, third-year swingman Jaylen Brown slid into the starting lineup. While nothing has been confirmed by Stevens, it’s possible that he returns to the bench if Smart is ready to reclaim his spot.
