It could only end one way.

The nightmare of a regular season that the Boston Celtics just put our beautiful city through had to culminate in major injury:

First off, this happened in an absolutely meaningless moment of a meaningless game. That’s on Coach Brad Stevens. If this season has done anything it’s proven that Stevens is far from infallible. This is the icing on the cake folks. Getting a key piece of the team, maybe THE KEY piece of the team injured for nothing is a very bad look. No bueno Coach.

Round 1 against the Indiana Pacers was not going to go easy even with Smart. Now you’re looking at taking on a team with a chip on their shoulders without the one guy who ALWAYS plays with the biggest chip on his shoulder. The Boston Celtics who have played the entire season with the least heart and energy of any C’s team in recent memory will have to win four tough games without their heart and energy guy. No bueno folks.

Maybe it always had to be this way. In a year where almost nothing has gone as planned maybe a last second injury disaster will finally snap this team out of whatever fog they have been in all year. Maybe they will get past the Pacers and get Marcus Smart back and make the Finals run that we all expected would happen back in September.

Maybe.