Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart has been dealing with a torn oblique since April 7th. The former Oklahoma State standout is making great strides in recovery, but his original four-to-six week timetable is still in place.

In an interview with Sherrod Blakely of NBC Sports Boston, Celtics head coach Brad Stevens noted that Smart is getting closer and closer to being cleared for contact drills.

Smart will likely be out of commission until mid-May, but he was on the court during Thursday's practice session putting in some light work.

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“Pain level is going down,” Smart said of his injury. “It’s not as sore … the next [steps are] driving to the rim and really moving and getting my abdominal and torso muscles going.”

The loss of Smart is obviously a tough blow for the Celtics, who are currently tied with the Milwaukee Bucks in the Eastern Conference Semifinals, 1-1. Jaylen Brown, Gordon Hayward, and Terry Rozier will likely continue to see increased workloads until Smart has recovered enough to take the floor in an actual game setting.

Smart has established himself as a key member of Boston's backcourt rotation. He made 80 appearances with the Celtics during their 2018-19 regular season campaign, racking up averages of 8.9 points on 42.2 percent shooting from the field (36.4 percent from beyond the arc), 4.0 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.8 steals in 27.5 minutes per outing.

The Celtics and Bucks will meet for Game 3 on Friday night. Tip-off inside TD Garden is set for 8:00 p.m. ET, with ESPN having live broadcast coverage.