Celtics' Marcus Smart Out for Game 4 vs. Heat with Ankle Injury

Marcus Smart will miss Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals due to an ankle injury.

The team confirmed that both Robert Williams III and Jayson Tatum will be available for the game.

The Celtics suffered a 118-107 defeat in Smart's absence.

The man put together his best regular season ever. He was the NBA's Defensive Player of the Year after he averaged 12.1 points, 5.9 assists and 1.7 steals.

Smart carried that over into the playoffs.

He has averaged 15.8 points and 6.8 assists through 12 contests. The guard has helped Boston play suffocating defense at times. According to NBA.com, he is holding opposing players to a percentage of shooting on three-pointers.

Smart is a tone-setter beyond the numbers. Since arriving before the trade deadline, White has helped, but he cannot provide the leadership the Celtics typically get from Smart.

Boston will benefit from a hometown crowd in Game 4 because of the 2-1 deficit. If the series is level going into Game 5 in Miami, the complexion of the series will change dramatically.

The Celtics' hopes of reaching the NBA Finals are hanging by a thread without Smart.