Celtics Rumors: Marcus Smart's Injury vs. Magic Diagnosed as Strained Oblique

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart is reportedly dealing with an oblique injury as the playoffs loom.

Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reported Smart suffered a strained oblique during Sunday's game against the Orlando Magic, and the team will "see how it responds in the next 24-48 hours."

Smart suffered a torn tendon in his thumb last season and played just 54 games, marking the third time in four years he failed to reach the 70-game mark. He averaged 10.2 points, 4.8 assists and 3.5 rebounds a night in those 54 games and has 8.9 points, 4.0 assists and 2.9 rebounds a night this season.

While he is a complementary piece on the offensive end, Smart's true value comes when the Celtics are on defense. Opponents shot 3.8 percent worse from the field and 5.7 percent worse from three-point range than their normal averages in 2017-18 when Smart defended them, per NBA.com.

Boston will find it more difficult challenging for the championship if Smart is forced to miss significant time following this setback, but it has plenty of backcourt talent to carry the load while he is sidelined.

The Celtics can still rely on the combination of Kyrie Irving, Terry Rozier and Jaylen Brown in the backcourt, while the versatile Gordon Hayward and Jayson Tatum provide different lineup options.