Although the Boston Celtics lost their hearts 96-95 to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday, after failing to convert possible consecutive winning shots as time expired, defeat was the least of their worries, as Marcus Smart fell on fourth period with a frightening-looking injury to the left calf area. Was quickly announced that Smart suffered a calf strain, but there were many similarities between Kevin Durant’s infamous Achilles laceration in the 2019 NBA Finals, where you could see the tendon breaking as clearly as day, and Smart’s injury on Saturday night.
Fortunately, Boston can expire, as Smart’s injury wasn’t very serious, as it was diagnosed as a calf strain, by The Athletic’s Shams Charania. Although not as significant compared to a much more serious injury, the team expects Smart to lose 2-3 weeks with what is being described as a “grade I rupture of his right medial gastrocnemius”, according New York Times‘Marc Stein.
This is the enlarged view of Smart’s injury, where he goes to the ground after trying to load to grab a rebound:
Here is the enlarged view:
In the second video, you can see something in Smart’s calf crack, which was visibly similar to Durant’s injury, so that you can understand the immediate concern. However, after doing an MRI, Smart’s injury was not that serious. Still, there’s no reason for Boston to try to rush him back to make sure he doesn’t get hurt again.