Boston Celtics' Marcus Smart (36) is defended by Miami Heat's Kyle Lowry (7) during the first half of Game 3 of the NBA basketball playoffs Eastern Conference finals Saturday, May 21, 2022, in Boston. (AP Photo/Michael Dwyer)AP

The Celtics will have Marcus Smart back in their starting lineup for the second straight game after he was upgraded from questionable to available by Boston’s training staff ahead of Game 6.

Smart missed Game 4 of the Heat series with an ankle sprain that he suffered in a collision with Kyle Lowry in Game 3. Smart managed to return in limited minutes for Boston’s Game 5 victory in Miami.

The veteran guard finished with five points, five rebounds and four assists on just 1-of-5 shooting while dealing with foul trouble in both halves, limiting him to only 24 minutes. The Celtics got a strong performance from Derrick White off the bench with Smart sidelined for much of the second half as well.

The Celtics are just one win away from advancing to their first NBA Finals appearance since 2010 with two straight victories giving them a 3-2 series lead. The team will also have Robert Williams cleared to play in the starting five for the Game 6 matchup, which tips off at 8:30 p.m. ET.

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