Kristaps Porzingis injury: Celtics big man expected to play in Game 5, has no minutes restriction

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Kristaps Porzingis has officially been listed as available for Game 5 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics and Dallas Mavericks, and is expected to make his return from a rare lower leg injury. Porzingis has not played since getting hurt late in Game 2. 

When asked about Porzingis’ status, Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters during his pre-game press conference to “expect to see him tonight.” Mazzulla added that Porzingis is further along in his recovery than he was on Friday and he will not be on any minutes restriction. 

Porzingis went through an extensive pre-game routine early on Monday evening in which he worked on everything from 3-point shots to defensive slides. 

It remains to be seen how much Porzingis will play, but even limited minutes from him would be a big boost for the Celtics. He was excellent in the first two games, averaging 16 points, five rebounds and 2.5 blocks, and the team was +25 in his 44 minutes. His shooting ability allows the Celtics to play their favored five-out style all game long and puts the Mavericks in a tough spot defensively. On the other end, he is the team’s lone true rim protector, and makes the Mavericks think when he’s out there. 

Porzingis missed the majority of the Eastern Conference playoffs after straining his calf in Game 4 of the Celtics’ first-round series versus the Miami Heat, but returned for Game 1 of the Finals. Unfortunately for him and the Celtics, he went down again late in Game 2 with a “torn medial retinaculum, allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon” in his left leg. 

Thanks in large part to Porzingis’ efforts early in the series, the Celtics built a 3-0 lead and remain one win away from earning their first title since 2008 and the 18th in franchise history. They’ll be eager to get that done in Game 5 to avoid heading back to Dallas for a pressure-packed…

Source link : https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/kristaps-porzingis-injury-celtics-big-man-expected-to-play-in-game-5-has-no-minutes-restriction/

Author : Jack Maloney

Publish date : 2024-06-17 23:47:21

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