As expected, Atlanta Hawks forward Josh Smith still plans to play in Game 4 at TD Garden Sunday night after testing his injured knee during shootaround. Smith sat out the Hawks' Game 3 overtime loss with strained patella ligament, an injury he suffered battling Kevin Garnett in the post during the fourth quarter of their Game 2 loss. But Smith was adamant he would return for Game 4, regardless of how the knee felt. Michael Cunningham of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution tweeted Sunday afternoon that there's no change to the plans of his return, via @AJCHawks:
No change on #Hawks Josh Smith (knee) after shootaround. He still plans to play GM 4 vs. #Celtics
— Michael Cunningham (@ajchawks) May 6, 2012
Smith's return could be a huge boost for the Hawks, who are trying to even their series with the Celtics and reclaim home court advantage. Tip is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. ET in Boston.
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. For complete coverage of the 2012 NBA Playoffs, stay tuned to SB Nation's dedicated NBA hub.