Kristaps Porzingis has been one of the Boston Celtics’ best players in the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks, but because of an injury suffered Sunday in Game 2, his status for Game 3 and the rest of the series is unknown.
The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzingis has a rare left leg injury, and that he will be evaluated on a day-to-day basis.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla said at a press conference Tuesday that Porzingis’ injury is “serious” and that the team has “taken the decision to play out of his hands.”
The Celtics haven’t yet ruled out Porzingis for Game 3 on Wednesday night in Dallas. The star center met with reporters shortly after the team made its announcement, and he wouldn’t close the door on playing.
“It was kind of a random situation. I felt something, and now I have to deal with it,” Porzingis said. “As we said, it’s going to be day to day and we’ll see how I am tomorrow. Obviously, I’m going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow, and we’ll see.”
What would keep Porzingis out of the lineup?
“Nothing is going to stop me unless I’m told I’m not allowed to play,” he said. “That’s the only reason I would not be out there.”
Porzingis returned to the Celtics’ lineup for Game 1 of the Finals after missing the previous 10 games with a right calf injury suffered in Game 4 of the team’s first-round series versus the Miami Heat. The veteran center played fantastic in the first two games against the Mavericks, both as a scorer and a dominant defensive presence. His five blocks are one more than the Mavs have tallied as a team in the series.
Porzingis’ latest injury is an unfortunate setback if he’s forced to miss any time, but it sounds like he’s in a good place mentally.
“I’ve been through some stuff in my career, and obviously this is a rough patch coming back and having something happen right away again,” Porzingis said. “It’s tough. It’s very — just a tough moment right now.
“But I’m feeling pretty good. I’m feeling pretty good. Mind is good. We’ll see tomorrow.”
The Celtics have a 30-5 record without Porzingis this season, including the playoffs. It would obviously be better for the Celtics if Porzingis was in the lineup and able to make a difference, but they are still well-equipped to beat the Mavericks if he’s unavailable.