Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart has admitted his relief at not breaking his finger during a Vegas Summer League match on Thursday.
Smart, who instead dislocated his right index and middle fingers when landing on the floor of the court, is hopeful of being back in action in early September, when the Celtics resume their training camp ahead of the new campaign.
Televised broadcast of the game showed Smart's fingers bent at extremely awkward angles as he was treated on the court, but the 21-year-old has said that he is happy that there were no broken bones.
"I feel a lot better now. There's not so much pain as I was feeling the first couple of days," Smart told ESPN. "They've got me working on my motion, so everything's feeling better.
"I'm not really rushing anything as we've still got the whole summer. I'm just working on getting my finger strength back and getting back into training camp.
"I thought I'd broke them, it looked like my fingers were done. I ended up getting five stitches on my index finger but now I have to deal with this therapy and everything and trying to get this strength back."
The number six pick in the 2014 Draft is projected to be the Celtics' starting point guard next season.
Joe McPhee
