Smart expected to miss 6-8 weeks after undergoing thumb surgery

Boston Celtics point guard Marcus Smart underwent surgery to repair a torn ulnar collateral ligament in his injured right thumb Friday and is expected to miss six-to-eight weeks.

The Celtics are hopeful Smart will be ready to return in the minimum six weeks, sources told ESPN's Chris Forsberg. That would mean he'd be available in the latter stages of the first round of the playoffs.

Smart suffered the injury while diving for a loose ball during a loss to the Indiana Pacers on Sunday. Initial reports suggested he'd suffered a torn tendon in the thumb, but Celtics president Danny Ainge disputed that diagnosis, saying Smart was still seeking opinions. The team initially called the injury a sprain.

Smart, who recently missed 11 games with a hand laceration after punching a picture frame out of frustration, will be a restricted free agent at season's end. The Celtics have been 4.4 points per 100 possessions better with him on the floor (with that positive value coming almost entirely at the defensive end), and they're 38-16 with him in the lineup compared to 8-6 when he's out.

The Celtics continue to limp through the season's stretch run, with Kyrie Irving, Jaylen Brown, Daniel Theis, and Gordon Hayward also on the shelf.