TORONTO — Marcus Smart and Robert Williams sat out the second half of the Celtics' 106-104 victory over the Raptors on Saturday due to injury.
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| Marcus Smart and Robert Williams were hurt during the victory over the Raptors |
In the final minute of the first half, Smart hurt his right ankle and had to be assisted to the locker room.
Williams remained in the game after teammate Jaylen Brown crashed with his left knee in the first quarter, but he did not return for the second half due to hyperextended knee ligaments. Williams had left knee surgery in March of last year but returned for the postseason.
After the victory, Boston coach Joe Mazzulla stated that Williams' newest injury was "nothing catastrophic" and that Smart's ankle X-rays found no structural damage.
At halftime, Toronto led 57-50, but Boston recovered to extend its winning streak to nine games.
"It speaks a lot about our squad," Boston head coach Joe Mazzulla remarked of the victory despite playing shorthanded. "At the opening of the game, it was evident that we just lacked motivation. We just kept playing. We never wavered and made outstanding plays. The men did an excellent job managing the game."
The Celtics were already without their leading scorer, as Jayson Tatum sat with an injured left wrist. Tatum is scoring a league-leading 31.2 points and a career-high 8.5 rebounds per game.
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