Celtics lose Smart 2-3 weeks with right calf injury


Marcus Smart of the Boston Celtics drives to the basket against the Los Angeles Lakers on January 30, 2021 at the TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images/AFP

Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart will miss the next two to three weeks of the NBA season with a right calf strain, the team announced Sunday.

A Sunday morning MRI exam showed Smart had suffered a mild muscle tear, allowing doctors to make a timetable for his recovery.

"Be back in no time," Smart tweeted Sunday. "The squad got this."

Smart suffered the injury Saturday in Boston's 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers.

He was helped off the court with 10:28 remaining in the fourth quarter after a collision under the basket with Lakers forward Montrezl Harrell, who tipped in a basket but landed on Smart's foot.

The 26-year-old American, in his seventh NBA campaign, is averaging 13.1 points and 6.1 assists a game, both career highs.

At 10-8, the Celtics are fifth in the Eastern Conference.