The news keeps getting worse for the Atlanta Hawks following their 87-80 loss to an undermanned Boston Celtics team in Game 2 of their 2012 NBA Playoffs first-round series. Star forward Josh Smith suffered a sprained patella ligament in his left knee in the fourth quarter of the loss, according to Adrian Wojnarowski of Yahoo! Sports.
Josh Smith Injury Update: Hawks’ Forward Has Sprained Patella Ligament, According To Report
Atlanta's Josh Smith has sprained patella ligament in knee, source tells Y! "He walked out of arena w/ no help, just gingerly," source says.
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@WojYahooNBA) May 2, 2012
Smith will have an MRI to check the severity of the injury on Wednesday, but an MRI can often confirm what is already known. The injury occurred midway through the fourth quarter when Smith was trying to guard Kevin Garnett. He tried to play through the pain, but departed for good with four and a half minutes left.
It remains unclear whether Smith will miss any time in the series, but if he cannot play, it's a huge loss for the Hawks. Smith put together another fine season this year, keeping the Hawks afloat after Al Horford suffered a season-ending injury early in the year.
For more on the Celtics, head over to CelticsBlog and SB Nation Boston. For more on the Hawks, check out Peachtree Hoops and SB Nation Atlanta.
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