Smart punched picture frame due to frustration over missing game-winner

Marcus Smart's competitive nature is a blessing, and apparently also a curse.

The Boston Celtics guard is sidelined with a hand injury he suffered after punching a picture frame out of frustration over failing to lead his team to victory.

"I was just frustrated with myself," he explained Sunday, as quoted by MassLive's Jay King. "That moment, we had lost a few games, I think four in a row to teams we feel we should have beat. Being a competitor, missing a lot of shots, you kinda get upset at yourself. ... As a competitor, you want to make every shot, especially when the game is on the line. We fell short. You know, just a lot of frustration about my play as well and how the team was playing."

Smart racked up 22 points on 7-of-13 shooting on Jan. 24 against the Los Angeles Lakers, but he couldn't get a potential game-winning 3-pointer to fall in the dying moments.

As a result, Boston suffered its fourth consecutive loss.

Smart, 23, has missed six games since with a right-hand laceration that required 20 stitches, and is expected to miss at least six more. Still, the knock isn't bad as it could've been.

"I was definitely worried. With the whole punching of the picture frame - it was glass - so I was really worried, but like I said, after talking to the doctors it was a blessing," he said.

"They said it missed everything and it could have messed my hand up pretty bad. I am blessed that nothing serious happened in that matter. I still have my hand, I still have my feeling and the use of my hand. I'm thankful for that, but it could have been serious."

Smart is averaging 10.1 points on 35.6 percent shooting from the floor and 29.9 percent from deep, plus 4.7 assists, 3.6 boards, and 1.3 steals over 46 games. In his absence, the Celtics are reportedly willing to trade him for a first-round draft pick.