Marcus Smart has missed the last six games for the Los Angeles Lakers due to a back injury that was initially described as spasms and later identified as a left lumbar muscle strain. Head coach JJ Redick had not expected Smart’s absence to extend beyond a couple of games after his MRI results were clear, but lingering symptoms have kept him sidelined.
Given Smart’s history with injuries over recent seasons, the Lakers are taking precautions to prevent this back issue from becoming more serious. Ahead of the team’s final game on their road trip against the Philadelphia 76ers, Redick provided an update about Smart’s status.
JJ Redick said, “Marcus Smart remains day-to-day, but added the hope is that he’ll be available for Wednesday’s NBA Cup quarterfinals matchup vs. the San Antonio Spurs.” The upcoming game against the Spurs is part of the Emirates NBA Cup quarterfinals. If the Lakers advance past this round, they will play in the semifinals on Saturday in Las Vegas.
Smart has played an important role in strengthening the Lakers’ defense early in the season and his absence has been felt by the team. There is hope within the organization that he will return soon.
Reflecting on what has contributed to a strong start for Los Angeles despite frequent injuries among key players, Marcus Smart said: “Just our resilience. It’s something new every game for us that’s allowing us to do that when we get in those woes. We have some vets on the team that do a really good job of controlling the tempo, controlling the tempers, controlling emotions and making sure we get the job done. We’re definitely going to shoot better, we work too hard not to. That’s part of the game, we’ve just got to keep shooting though.”
