The Boston Celtics said Sunday that guard Marcus Smart has a grade 1 strain of his left calf.
The Celtics have said Smart will be two to three weeks, but a source told ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski there is optimism he could return within one to two weeks.
Smart underwent an MRI on Sunday after leaving Boston in the fourth quarter of Boston’s 96-95 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers with the injury.
Smart, who averaged 13.2 points and 6.0 assists in the game – both career highs – apparently did not end up on anyone’s foot when he came down in front of Boston’s bench after 10 minutes for a rebound did not fight, while 31 seconds were left the fourth quarter. But after a moment, Smart grabs the back of his left leg and falls to the ground, writhing in pain.
After Boston called the time-out, Smart went to bed for a while before finally being helped off the court and immediately returned to Boston’s locker room by two staff members in Boston. He did not put weight on his left leg at all while being helped.
Boston, which has lost two consecutive games, departs Monday after a five-game West Coast trip that begins Tuesday in San Francisco against the Golden State Warriors.
ESPN’s Tim Bontemps contributed to this report.