Kristaps Porzingis' rare injury has Celtics big man day-to-day for rest of NBA Finals
BOSTON -- The Celtics provided an injury update on Kristaps Porzingis, and it doesn't sound very promising for the Boston big man going forward in the NBA Finals. Porzingis is considered day-to-day with what head coach Joe Mazzulla referred to as a "serious injury" on Tuesday.
Porzingis' status for Wednesday night's Game 3 -- and the rest of the series -- against the Mavericks is now in question after the team revealed that he "suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg" during Sunday night's Game 2 win in Boston. Boiling it down, Porzingis has a torn tendon and it's now up to the Boston medical staff whether or not he can play going forward.
He is officially listed as questionable on the injury report that Boston released Tuesday evening..
"It's a serious injury. At the end of the day, our team and the medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations," Mazzulla said Tuesday in Dallas. "We've taken the decision to play out of his hands because the importance of him. He's going to do everything can he to play. We're going to leave it up to our medical team."
"Kind of a random situation and now I have to deal with it," Porzingis said Tuesday. "We'll see how I am [Wednesday] and obviously I'll do everything I can to be out there."
As Boston’s Kristaps Porzingis told reporters, he’s determined and expects to continue to try and play with this tendon injury in the Finals. For now, there’s no indication he’ll be ruled out and not permitted to try in Game 3, sources said. https://t.co/jyhg7n9leK
— Adrian Wojnarowski (@wojespn) June 11, 2024
Porzingis suffered the injury in the third quarter while battling Dereck Lively II for a rebound at the free throw line. He stayed in until there was about five minutes left in the game when it inhibited his movement.
The Celtics said that this injury -- which was referred to as "rare" in the team's release -- is unrelated to Porzingis's prior right calf injury, which sidelined him for 10 games ahead of the NBA Finals.
Both Mazzulla and Porzingis were extremely upbeat and confident that the injury was nothing serious after Game 2 on Sunday night, but that tune has now changed considerably as the NBA Finals shift to Dallas. Porzingis said that his mind is good and he remains optimistic that he'll be able to help the Celtics going forward.
"I have to be. I'm going to do everything I can to be out there [for Game 3]," he said. "Nothing is going to stop me, unless I'm not allowed to play."
Porzingis said Sunday that he was willing to die on the floor for an NBA title, and said on Tuesday that desire still remains.
"I hope not but if it comes to that to win, then yes," he said.
Porzginis had given the Celtics a matchup nightmare off the bench in the first two games, but the team may not have that luxury anymore. If Porzingis is out of action Wednesday night, veteran Al Horford will likely see extended minutes while Luke Kornet could get some run as Boston's big off the bench. Sam Hauser, Oshae Brissett, and Xavier Tillman should be ready to make some plays off the bench as well.
"It's obvious him on the floor just helps elevate us to a different level," Jaylen Brown said of Porzingis' impact. "But we've been priding ourselves on next-man-up mentality. We prepare for these moments to be able to play with or without anyone. It just requires somebody else on our team to step up and everybody to buy in to get a full team victory."