Marcus Smart has been ruled out for Saturday's game at Atlanta with a left forearm injury, a downgrade from day-to-day. The Rockets, 2-0, will play without a guard who has averaged 23.9 minutes this season, and their backcourt is already thin.
What happened
Marcus Smart was ruled out for Saturday's game against the Hawks, according to the injury report posted at 7:38 PM ET. The injury is listed as a left forearm issue. He had been day-to-day with the same injury earlier Saturday, so the status got worse before tip-off. Varun Shankar of the Houston Chronicle reports that Smart (forearm) has been ruled out for the game. The report lists an expected return date of Oct. 26. No further detail on the injury or on a timeline beyond that date has been announced.
What it means for the Rockets
Houston plays at the Hawks on Saturday at 8:30 PM ET. The Rockets are 2-0, hold the third seed and have won two straight. Smart, 32, has played in both games, averaging 23.9 minutes, 7.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 1.5 assists. Last season he averaged 9.3 points and 3.0 assists in 28.5 minutes over 62 games. The Rockets have not played without him, so there is no record to compare. The guard group is short. Fred VanVleet is listed out with a right knee issue, and Steven Adams is out with a left ankle issue. Reed Sheppard (15.8 minutes), Tari Eason (14.8) and Bogdan Bogdanovic (11.0) are the other rotation options.
What to watch
The next injury report will show whether Smart's status changes ahead of Houston's next game. The report lists Oct. 26 as his expected return date, but the team has not said whether that means he will play that day. Watch Sheppard's minutes against Atlanta, since he is the first name on the rotation list behind the starters. Also watch VanVleet's status. His absence, with Smart's, would leave Houston's guard rotation thin.
Is Marcus Smart playing against the Hawks?
No. Smart was ruled out for Saturday's game at Atlanta with a left forearm injury. He had been listed as day-to-day earlier Saturday.
When will Marcus Smart be back?
The injury report lists an expected return date of Oct. 26. The team has not announced anything beyond that, including whether he will play that day.