Boston Celtics guard, Marcus Smart, did not participate in Team USA's 94-89 loss to Serbia on Saturday and will not play when the Americans face Poland on Saturday, a game that will decide 7th place. Marcus' X-rays on his left hand came back negative, but he is still experiencing calf and quad soreness - thus the decision to shut him down for the final two games.
Smart's stats in five games for Team USA were not dazzling, but his numbers never jump off the page. He averaged 6.4 PPG on 48% from the field, in addition to 1.4 RPG - hardly the stuff of legend. But his defense was riveting. At times it seemed that he was covering all five opponents on any single sequence. And this last-second 3-pointer astounded everyone, including the announcer with his "half-American, half-amazing" proclamation.
Jayson Tatum also sat out the game against Serbia due to a nagging ankle issue, and Team Shamrock will soon return home with a 7th-place finish at best - hardly what they had hoped for. With Boston Celtics training camp set to begin in a couple of weeks, hopefully Tatum and Smart will be fully-recovered and ready to go.
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Marcus Smart underwent X-rays on a left knuckle injury this week that came back negative, but soreness in the hand along with quad/calf soreness led to the decision to shut him down. https://t.co/bWfGsLBdqW
— Shams Charania (@ShamsCharania) September 11, 2019
Smart's stats in five games for Team USA were not dazzling, but his numbers never jump off the page. He averaged 6.4 PPG on 48% from the field, in addition to 1.4 RPG - hardly the stuff of legend. But his defense was riveting. At times it seemed that he was covering all five opponents on any single sequence. And this last-second 3-pointer astounded everyone, including the announcer with his "half-American, half-amazing" proclamation.
"Half American, half amazing"
— Yahoo Sports NBA (@YahooSportsNBA) September 9, 2019
Marcus Smart hit this wild buzzer beater and the announcers were fired up 💀
(via @ChrisForsberg_)pic.twitter.com/EnJqlJJ9tB
Jayson Tatum also sat out the game against Serbia due to a nagging ankle issue, and Team Shamrock will soon return home with a 7th-place finish at best - hardly what they had hoped for. With Boston Celtics training camp set to begin in a couple of weeks, hopefully Tatum and Smart will be fully-recovered and ready to go.
Follow Tom at @CelticsSentinel and @_Celtics_Center
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