The Boston Celtics are grappling with the possibility of being without their star big man, Kristaps Porzingis, for Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday. On Tuesday afternoon, the team revealed that Porzingis had suffered a “torn medial retinaculum, allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon” in his left leg. Currently listed as day-to-day, his availability for the crucial game remains uncertain.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla addressed the media on Tuesday, emphasizing the severity of Porzingis’ condition. When questioned about Porzingis’ potential participation in Game 3, Mazzulla replied, “I have no idea.”
“He’s doing anything and everything he can to be ready for the game tomorrow,” Mazzulla stated. “It’s a serious injury, and at the end of the day, the medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations. We’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands, because of his importance. So he’s going to do everything he can to play, and then we’re going to leave it up to our medical team.”
The Celtics reported that Porzingis sustained the injury with 3:27 left in the third quarter of Game 2. This new injury is not related to the right calf issue that sidelined him for much of the playoffs. It seemed he aggravated his right calf late in the fourth quarter of Game 2 while vying for a rebound with PJ Washington, causing him to stumble and fall awkwardly. Despite attempting to continue, he eventually left the game and did not return, later seen stretching his right leg. Post-game, Porzingis downplayed the fall, and Mazzulla’s initial concern level was “zero.” However, the new injury has now cast doubt on his readiness for Game 3.
Porzingis remains hopeful about his chances of playing. “It’s kind of a random situation, and yeah, I felt something, and now I have to deal with it,” Porzingis commented. “As we said, it’s going to be day-to-day, and see how I am tomorrow, and I just feel I’m going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow.”
When pressed further about his optimism, Porzingis affirmed, “I am, of course, I have to be. I’m optimistic, as I said, I will do everything I can to be out there tomorrow. We’ll see.”
Porzingis was observed walking with a brace after his media session, indicating the uncertain nature of his condition. His potential absence or limited mobility could significantly impact the Celtics’ game plan. Porzingis’ defensive prowess has been instrumental in stifling Dallas’ lob threats, accumulating five blocks over the first two games. Offensively, his floor spacing has been a thorn in Dallas’ defense, with Porzingis scoring 20 points in Game 1 and 12 in Game 2. His presence has been crucial despite coming off the bench, and his absence could provide the Mavericks with an opportunity to close the gap in the series.
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