Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis has been officially ruled out for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks due to the “rare” injury he suffered in Game 2.
For those who missed it, Porzingis sustained a torn medial retinaculum, which caused a dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg. He was initially listed as questionable for Game 3, but there had always been fears that he could sit out as a result.
While Porzingis is deemed day-to-day with the injury–suggesting that the issue isn't that significant–the fact that he's been ruled out highlights that the Celtics are being cautious when it comes to his condition. It is worth noting that KP missed a huge chunk of their playoff run (10 games, 38 days) due to a calf strain and just returned in time for the NBA Finals in Game 1.
Porzingis reportedly wanted to play badly in the contest as they make the trip to Dallas after taking a 2-0 lead in the NBA Finals, but obviously, the Celtics want to give him more time to recover.
What Celtics said about Kristaps Porzingis' injury
Kristaps Porzingis' status for Game 3 has been a major talking point on Tuesday when both the Celtics and Mavericks addressed the media.
Joe Mazzulla sparked some fears when he said that it's a “serious” injury, but the Celtics head coach did point out that Porzingis was “doing anything and everything he can to be ready” for Game 3).
“At the end of the day, our team and medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations. We've taken the decision to play out of his hands because the importance of him. He's going to do everything he can to play. We're going to leave it up to our medical team. That's really it,” Mazzulla added.
Porzingis echoed the same sentiments as his head coach when asked about his injury. He also admitted that the issue occurred so randomly after he bumped knees with Mavericks center Dereck Lively II. Porzingis left the third quarter in the final minute and played less than four minutes in the final period as he was clearly bothered by the injury.
“It's kind of a random situation. I felt something, and now I have to deal with it. As we said, it's going to be day-to-day, and I'll see how I am tomorrow, and obviously I'm going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow, and we'll see,” Porzingis said.
With Porzingis out, Al Horford is expected to continue starting for the Celtics. However, the absence of the Latvian big man could be a huge blow to Boston, especially considering how huge he was in the first two games of the NBA Finals. Porzingis scored 20 points and tallied six rebounds and three blocks in Game 1, while he had 12 in his limited action in Game 2.
The Celtics should still be able to compete even without the sharpshooting forward, but it will definitely be a little more difficult, especially against a hungry and motivated Mavericks team that has their backs against the wall.
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