BOSTON — Marcus Smart and Robert Williams are expected to be back in the Celtics’ starting lineup for their showdown with the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday night. The duo both took part in Wednesday’s practice ahead of the upcoming three-game trip.
“They both practiced today, looked good today, I expect them to play,” Coach Ime Udoka said.
Smart missed last Wednesday’s game against the Pistons due to a sprained ankle suffered just over a week ago against the Philadelphia 76ers. Williams also missed two games last week due to calf rightness.
With the duo back in the starting five, Boston’s lineup will be back at full strength for the team’s showdown with the Nets in a nationally televised matchup.
Boston’s starting lineup has been one of the best high usage lineups in the NBA this season with a +26.5 net rating in the 23 games the team has played together. The Celtics are 17-6 in those matchups.
The Nets will have a host of new faces for the matchup after their blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia 76ers at the trade deadline. However, Williams said Boston’s mentality will remain consistent despite the new personnel.
“Approach it the same way we approached the last game we played them,” Williams said. “Same way we approach every game. Coach Udoka always tells us it doesn’t matter who they have. Each team has been through trials and triumphs through this year. So approach every game the same way and try to win.”
With the Celtics winning 11 of their last 12 games, Udoka wants to see Boston maintain the rhythm it built over the last six weeks, something the returns of Smart and Williams should help with.
“Build on the things we did well, we’ve done well going into the break,” Udoka said. “Keep that momentum up. Defensively, we’ve been really good and obviously want to keep that up but also improve in certain areas. Offensively, continue to build. We’ve gotten into the top 10 over the last 25 or so games and want to improve in that area. And so today was more of a mini training camp just to kind of refresh our minds on the things that we’re doing well, get up and down, and bang bodies a little bit as far as that. But the focus will be, obviously, game-specific starting with Brooklyn.”
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