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Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis told reporters on Wednesday that he will play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals. Porzingis, who has missed Boston’s past 10 games due to a calf strain and hasn’t played since April 29, has completed multiple scrimmages in recent days. He had initially been expected to return during the Eastern Conference finals, but with Boston sweeping the Indiana Pacers, Porzingis had extra time to recover in the long break before the Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.
“I’m feeling good,” Porzingis said. “It was a long road to get to this point for me. I’m feeling good, I’m looking forward to today’s practice, moving around a little bit more and then being ready to go tomorrow. It burns inside of me not being able to be out there. Tomorrow I’ll finally get the chance and I’m excited for it.”
The Celtics big man also took the court with his teammates on Wednesday.
Now Porzingis is set to make it back in time for a Finals series that will hold special significance for him. The Celtics will be facing his former team in a series that holds revenge elements on both sides. While Porzingis will be facing Dallas, former Celtics star Kyrie Irving will be facing the Mavericks after leaving as a free agent in 2019 and infamously stomping on Lucky the Leprechaun, the team’s logo, after beating the Celtics in a 2021 series as a member of the Brooklyn Nets.
Boston survived Porzingis’ absence in the first three rounds, but all three teams the Celtics faced in the Eastern Conference were dealing with injuries of their own. The Miami Heat didn’t have Jimmy Butler. The Cleveland Cavaliers didn’t have Jarrett Allen, and lost Donovan Mitchell midway through the series. The Indiana Pacers lost Tyrese Haliburton midway through the Eastern Conference finals.
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Author : Sam Quinn
Publish date : 2024-06-05 18:46:25
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