Surging Boston Celtics blow out Philadelphia 76ers but lose Marcus Smart in first half to right ankle sprain

PHILADELPHIA — Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart suffered a right ankle sprain in the second quarter of Tuesday night's 135-87 blowout win over the Philadelphia 76ers at Wells Fargo Center and did not return.

Smart drove down the lane and stepped onto the foot of 76ers center Joel Embiid, bending his ankle inward awkwardly and tumbling to the ground in a heap.

After spending several moments on the court in pain, he eventually got up and hobbled to the bench. Then he returned to the court, took his two free throws — missing both — and exited the game, going to the locker room with the help of a trainer.

«Rolled his ankle pretty bad,» Celtics coach Ime Udoka said after the game. "[He] stepped on Joel's foot on the way up, limping noticeably.

«We'll check him out tonight, obviously tomorrow, see how he feels. Didn't look very good walking out, but we'll see.»

Smart's injury was literally the only thing that went wrong for the Celtics (34-25), who have won nine games in a row and 11 out of 12 after their demolition of their oldest rivals Tuesday, one in which Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown had equaled Philadelphia's 57 points scored by themselves when they checked out for the final time late in the third quarter.

Boston led wire to wire, and by as many as 51 points, shooting over 56% from the field and 55% from 3-point range while holding the 76ers (34-23) to 28.7% shooting and an 8-for-32 showing from 3-point range.

«We didn't have much,» 76ers coach Doc Rivers said. «I thought offensively it's as poor as I've ever seen us ever, and defensively, they made more 3s than we made 2s. So, they got everything all game. They were better in every way. Coaching, playing, if there's another category, they were better in that.

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