BOSTON – The Celtics have already faced the Grizzlies twice since Marcus Smart was traded to Memphis, but they have yet to face their former teammate. That should change on Saturday night as the point guard is set to make his road debut at TD Garden. Smart is officially listed as questionable for the game with a right ankle injury, but he scored 18 points despite the injury Thursday night in Memphis’ home win over the Sacramento Kings.
Jayson Tatum was one of Smart’s longest-tenured teammates in Boston after playing the first six seasons of his career with the veteran before being dealt to Memphis in a three-team trade in June 2023. The The All-Star forward tried to put his appreciation for Smart into perspective when discussing the impending matchup after Friday’s win over the Bucks.
“I’m excited to see Smart tomorrow because you all know how much he means to this city, to this franchise,” Tatum said. “Ultimate Celtic, will always be a Celtic for life. I had played with him for six years; I couldn’t imagine a time when I wouldn’t be on his team.”
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Tatum will likely see some defensive coverage from Smart if he is physically allowed to see the floor and admits it will be a strange situation for him.
“If it’s tomorrow, it’s going to be a little weird, but I’ll probably go out there and tackle the crap out of him or something,” Tatum joked. “But I’m excited to see him. I know the fans will be excited to have Smart back in the building. So it’s going to be a special moment.”
Al Horford also spent six years playing alongside Smart in Boston and is eager to catch up with the seasoned veteran.
“Yeah, just excited, excited to see Marcus,” Horford said. “Besides the basketball stuff, it’s just watching him, seeing how he’s doing, you know, catching up and we’ll see if he plays.”
The Grizzlies will arrive in Boston as one of the hottest teams in the NBA, winning eight of their last 10 games. With Boston playing its fifth game in seven nights, Smart expects plenty of attention from his former teammates in the game.
“I’m sure they’ve seen how well I’ve played and they’re going to do everything they can to keep me from having a big game,” Smart told the Memphis Commercial Appeal on Thursday. “This is an important test for us.”
The Celtics and Grizzlies square off Saturday night at TD Garden at 8 p.m