Your Morning Dump… Where Marcus Smart could miss just two weeks?

Preliminary results show a sprain for Smart. Expect him to be out two weeks, maybe longer depending on how cautiously Celts proceed.

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) November 8, 2014

Much of how soon Smart can get back will be determined by swelling in the ankle over the next day or two.

— Steve Bulpett (@SteveBHoop) November 8, 2014

With severe injuries to Paul George and Julius Randle fresh in our mind, we all thought the worst for Marcus Smart when he crumpled to the Garden floor last night.

But shockingly, multiple preliminary reports classify this injury as a sprain. No break, no torn ligaments.

I’m not a religious man, but I know a miracle when I see one. A season-ending injury to Smart would have crushed my soul.

Get well, Marcus and we’ll see you in December.

In other injury related news, Rajon Rondo will miss tonight’s game in Chicago because he needs to have a screw removed from his hand.

Related: CSNNE – No break, Smart has bad sprain | ESPN Boston – Smart set for MRI | Herald – Celtics rally around Smart

On Page 2, Gerald Wallace is still alive.

A career 71-percent free-throw shooter who finished at a head-shaking 46.5 percent last season, Wallace, with a measly three minutes of game time to his name this season, shed his warm-ups and calmly made both freebies.

So it was fitting that it was Wallace, back on the floor in the final moments, who snatched away an inbounds pass that sealed Boston’s 101-98 triumph at TD Garden.

“That’s not my first time ever doing that, so the free throws weren’t the biggest part,” explained Wallace. “I was just very cold going into the game — late in the fourth quarter, that was my biggest issue. That’s not my first time being called when somebody’s hurt to shoot free throws, I did it a couple times in Sacramento. I was kind of expecting that; I was more worried about Marcus.”

“Gerald is going to become one of my favorites of all time, if he’s not already there, because he has not said one bad word about not playing,” said Stevens. “All he’s done is support his teammates. All he’s done is be great to the coaches. All he’s done is be a great leader.

“Then he goes in and helps us win a game. That’s what he told everybody he was going to do, but it’s easier said than done. I got a lot of respect for a guy going like that.”

ESPN Boston

Gerald Wallace sure has changed his attitude. Last year, Wallace was a vocal leader, expressing frustration with effort after nearly every loss.

But now he just sets back and skates his lane. I realize it’s hard to feel sorry for a guy earning $10 million this year, but his career is winding down and it must suck to waste away on the bench of a rebuilding team.

The rest of the links:

Herald – Stevens learns between Vogel meals | Celtics respond to loss | CSNNE – Pressey’s impact | Globe – Celtics beat Pacers, but lose Smart | Rondo will not play Sat |