Ime Udoka’s first visit back to the Boston Celtics since leaving the team he helped lead to the 2022 NBA Finals will take place this Saturday night at TD Garden when the Celtics meet the Houston Rockets.
He had a conversation with Marc Spears of Andscape prior to his return, in which he revealed that he was unsure of the response he would get and discussed how he would handle his departure and uphold the bonds he had with his players in Boston.
With Udoka leading the Rockets to an 18-18 record and eighth place in the Western Conference, the team is now in Houston and defying expectations. They have improved defensively from the previous season, play with an edge, and have made significant progress in the development of Alperen \engün and Jabari Smith Jr., the latter of whom already appears to be a future All-Star who may perhaps make it this year.
As for the team hosting the game on Saturday, the Boston Celtics, 29-9, are leading the NBA rankings and trail Giannis Antetokounmpo and company by three games, despite a 135-102 beating at the hands of the Milwaukee Bucks due to scheduling conflicts.
They currently have a clean injury report, so it looks like they will be in full health for their matchup against Houston.
The competition on Saturday will begin at 7:00 p.m. EST. Inside Before, during, and after the game, the Celtics will feature content pertaining to the game. For updates and analysis, from the pregame to the post, follow @BobbyKrivitsky on Twitter.
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Sad times for Marcus.
Marcus Smart was unable to play against the Celtics in his debut game due to an ankle issue. Regretfully, he might not be playing when he gets back to TD Garden.
“I swear to the whole Boston Celtic fan base that we are so close and that our only concern is winning the 18th championship for the city of Boston.”
That was Marcus Smart’s message in an exclusive interview with Inside the Celtics on the heels of Boston losing Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Finals to the Miami Heat.
Less than a week later, Kristaps Porzingis was traded to the Boston Celtics as part of a three-team deal that also included the franchise’s former floor general and the team’s heart and soul, the Boston Celtics.
He joined the team after the current big three of Ray Allen, Paul Pierce, and Kevin Garnett had already established themselves, yet the Celtics advanced to the postseason each of his nine seasons with them. This includes making five visits to the Eastern Conference Finals and nearly winning the Larry O’Brien Trophy by two games.
Boston has outscored its opponent every year that Smart has played, according to Michael Pina of The Ringer. Smart has never had a season with a negative net rating.
The Texas native’s stay with the Grizzlies hasn’t started out as planned, despite the fact that he has brought to Memphis the same leadership and perseverance that helped him win the 2022 NBA Defensive Player of the Year award.
He has had injuries throughout the team’s season thus far. Star point player Ja Morant just had a season-ending labrum injury and missed the first 25 games of the season due to a suspension.
Smart’s November left ankle injury kept him out of action for just over a month. During that absence, he was unable to suit up for his first game at FedExForum against the Celtics, which the latter managed to win 102-100.
Regretfully, there is already a degree of doubt around his availability when he makes his first trip back to Boston following his trade.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reports that he is coping with a serious injury to his right ring finger. It is anticipated that he will be absent for roughly six weeks.
With his first return to TD Garden scheduled for February 4, Smart will have less than a month to recover sufficiently to play. Given the significance of the matchup, his devotion to his teammates, and his competitive nature, it’s likely that he will exert every effort to be in the starting lineup, even though it could be simpler for him to watch what will undoubtedly be one of the most emotional games he’s ever been a part of from the sidelines.
