Heading into the All-Star break, the Boston Celtics were without Marcus Smart for the final 11 games after he suffered an injury to his right hand when he punched a glass picture frame in frustration. 

Smart was diagnosed with a laceration to his hand and had to sit and watch as his teammates went through a slump in his absence. 

In an interview with ESPN's Chris Forsberg, the 23-year-old revealed that the injury almost ended his season. 

He explained how doctors pulled a large shard of glass from his palm that narrowly avoided shredding two tendons near the pinky on his shooting hand, per Forsberg.

"[Doctors] said the two tendons that ran along the pinky area, the main tendons, and literally the glass was sitting right in between them," Smart said.

"So, [the doctors said],'You should go play the lotto or something because you missed your tendons. They don't understand it. They don't really see how. So I thank God for that every day. It could have been worse."

When asked what would have happened if glass had cut the tendons, he replied: "I probably would have had to have surgery. I would have been done for the year."

The shooting guard can count himself extremely fortunate as it would've been a huge blow for him and the Celtics if he'd missed the remainder of the campaign because of a moment of madness. 

But luckily, he has returned to practice with his Boston teammates and hs declared himself ready to return to the lineup for Friday's game against the Detroit Pistons. 

With Smart out of the lineup, the C's went 6-5 and fell to second place in the Eastern Conference as they were overtaken by the Toronto Raptors. 

The Oklahoma State product's presence on the floor elevates the Celtics defence and they gave up a season-high in points in back-to-back losses against the Cleveland Cavaliers and Los Angeles Clippers without him. 

He feels like he let his teammates down with his actions and not being able to help them on the court. 

"I was devastated, just from the fact that I couldn't even get out there and do anything to help," said Smart. "I'm a competitor, and I think anybody in this league if you ask them they'll tell you:

"It's one thing to sit on the bench because of something that happened that you couldn't control, but it's another to sit on there for something you can control. I feel like I let my team down. But I got a second chance to come out and redeem myself."

The best way he can make it up to his team is by getting back on the floor and performing well, starting with the encounter against the Pistons.