Boston Celtics Injury Report: Will Marcus Smart Face Sixers?
The 2022-2023 NBA season is finally here, and the Philadelphia 76ers will take part in tipping off the new year with a matchup against the Boston Celtics.
On Monday, the Sixers wrapped up a practice session in Camden, New Jersey, and hopped on a flight to Boston right after.
For the first time since December of 2021, the Sixers will take the floor at TD Garden and will be the first competitors to face the Celtics since Boston dropped the NBA Finals to the Golden State Warriors.
Going into the matchup, the Celtics have had quite a few players to keep an eye on as injuries have lingered. It was already clear the Celtics would miss a couple of players on Tuesday, but some other prospects were up in the air as well.
With tip-off just hours away, who is in or out for the Celtics against the Sixers?
Who’s Out
Danilo Gallinari
The Italian veteran forward was one of Boston’s top acquisitions of the offseason. Unfortunately, his Boston debut will be on hold for an entire season. While competing in EuroBasket over the summer, Gallinari suffered a critical knee injury. The Celtics were hopeful he would avoid the worst-case scenario, but an MRI revealed Gallinari suffered a torn ACL. He won’t face the Sixers at all this year.
Robert Williams III
Similar to Gallinari, Williams is battling a knee injury. However, his is not as severe. For weeks, it was clear that Williams would not be ready for the season opener against the Sixers. According to a recent update, it seems Williams’ setback will keep him off the floor for a lot longer than initially expected.
Close Calls
Marcus Smart
The veteran guard suffered a groin injury during the preseason. Over the weekend, the Celtics downgraded Smart to day-to-day as they prepared for Tuesday’s matchup. Fortunately for the Celtics, Smart won’t miss the action as they begin defending their conference title. When Boston released its injury report, Smart was left off of it.
Malcolm Brogdon
Just like Smart, Brogdon had an injury scare during the Celtics’ preseason finale. Brogan’s leg injury had him considered day-to-day for the last couple of days, but the veteran avoided the injury report on Monday night.
Justin Grasso covers the Philadelphia 76ers for All76ers, a Sports Illustrated channel. You can follow him for live updates on Twitter: @JGrasso_.
