Celtics Injury Report: 2 Key Starters Out For Game 1

Boston will be without Defensive Player of the Year Marcus Smart and veteran center Al Horford for Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Heat.

Marcus Smart Injury Update

Smart's absence with a mid-foot sprain comes as a bit of a surprise to our team of Pro Basketball Docs. We assigned him a SIC health score of 83 and were cautiously optimistic that he could play and be effective.

Head coach Ime Udoka told reporters earlier on Tuesday that Smart still had swelling and soreness in his ailing right foot.

He suffered the injury when his legs were undercut on a drive by Giannis Antetokounmpo, slamming his right foot hard into the ground when he landed.

Smart played his usual minutes after the first quarter fall and left with 2:03 left in the contest, even though the game was well in hand at that point.

He was seen limping after the game, but will likely return for Game 2 on Thursday.

Al Horford Injury Update

Horford was placed into health and safety protocols before Tuesday's game after presumably testing positive for COVID-19. It remains unclear if he will be available for Thursday's contest or Saturday's Game 3.

He will have to return two negative tests, 24 hours apart to return to the court.

The 35-year-old center was instrumental in the Eastern Conference Semifinals win over the Bucks. He averaged 13 points, 10.4 rebounds and 4.1 assists in the seven-game series, along with 1.7 blocks per game.

His absence means Robert Williams III and Daniel Theis will likely see more action.

Williams will reportedly have no minutes restriction, although he missed the final four games against Milwaukee with a left knee bone bruise.

Celtics vs Heat Game 1 Odds

With Horford and Smart out, the Heat are 4.5 point favorites at home and the over/under is 203, according to FanDuel Sportsbook. The Celtics are -145 to win the series and +240 to win the NBA Finals.