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Tim MacMahon, ESPN Staff Writer
Memphis Grizzlies guard Marcus Smart will miss at least six weeks due to an injury to his right ring finger, the team announced Thursday.
Smart was diagnosed with a rupture of the proximal interphalangeal joint central and will be reevaluated in six weeks.
Smart suffered the injury during the third quarter of the Grizzlies’ road win Tuesday night over the Dallas Mavericks. After making a 3-pointer, Smart noticed that his finger was gruesomely out of place while extending his hand to celebrate the shot.
“It just felt funny and looked funny,” Smart said after the win. “So I’m just like, let’s get this checked out. Better safe than sorry. Nothing’s broken, but we’ll see what they say.”
An MRI revealed the extent of the injury to Smart, a former Defensive Player of the Year who is averaging 14.5 points and 4.3 assists per game during his first season with the Grizzlies after being traded from the Boston Celtics. Smart missed 17 games earlier this season due to a foot sprain.
Smart’s injury occurred the night after the Grizzlies learned that superstar guard Ja Morant needed to undergo season-ending surgery to repair a labral tear in his right shoulder. The team announced that Morant underwent a successful operation Thursday morning and is expected to make a full recovery before next season.
Source: www.espn.com