After coming away with a huge series win against the Milwaukee Bucks, the Boston Celtics are going to be severely undermanned against the Miami Heat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals.
That’s because two starters in Marcus Smart and Al Horford will be out for the opening game on Tuesday night.
Celtics‘ Al Horford and Marcus Smart are out for Game 1 vs. Miami tonight. Horford is in health and safety protocols.
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) May 17, 2022
Smart is the team’s starting point guard and best defender after winning the league’s 2022 Defensive Player of the Year.
Horford is the team’s starting center and has had a bit of a resurgence during the 2022 playoffs. The 35-year-old is averaging 13.0 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game during the postseason.
The Heat are dealing with injury issues of their own as starting point guard Kyle Lowry is likely to be out due to a hamstring issue. He has only played five games thus far in the postseason.
The two teams will open up Game 1 at 8:30 p.m. EST at FTX Arena in Miami.
