Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis is dealing with a very rare injury, but he is hoping he can suit up and play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday night.
Porzingis is listed as questionable, but he is going to warm up and see if he can get out on the floor.
Porzingis suffered the injury in the second half of the Celtics' Game 2 win over the Dallas Mavericks on Sunday night.
The 28-year-old just returned from calf issue in Game 1. He had initially sustained the calf injury in Game 2 of Boston's first-round series win over the Miami Heat and had been sidelined ever since. He showed no lingering effects of the injury, rattling off 20 points in 21 minutes in the Celtics' blowout Game 1 victory over the Mavericks. He also looked terrific again in Game 2, posting a game-high plus-12 in 23 minutes while adding 12 points.
Boston is looking to grab a commanding 3-0 series lead over Dallas in Game 3, and having Porzingis on the court would certainly be key in the C's achieving that feat.
Kristaps Porzingis has been vital to the Celtics
In the 44 minutes Porzingis has played over the first two games of the NBA Finals, the Celtics have outscored the Mavericks by 25 points. In the time he has been off the floor? Boston and Dallas are dead even.
Porzingis' impact was abundantly clear in Game 1. Not only does he had another dimension to the C's offensively, but his defensive presence is paramount. Porzingis blocked a few shots and altered numerous others while he was on the court. He also completely changes the complexion of the Mavs' offense, as the Mavericks seem much more reluctant to go to the basket with the 7-foot-3 Latvian in the paint.
In 57 games during the regular season, Porzingis averaged 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds and 1.9 blocks over 29.6 minutes per game while shooting 51.6 percent from the floor, 37.5 percent from three-point range and 85.8 percent from the free-throw line. He also posted .226 win shares per 48 minutes, a career high.
The Celtics landed Porzingis from the Washington Wizards in a blockbuster three-team trade last June
Porzingis was originally selected by the New York Knicks with the fourth overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft and spent the first three-and-a-half years of his career with the Knicks before being dealt to the Mavericks in January 2019. The pairing of Porzingis and Luka Doncic was supposed to take the league by storm, but due to Porzingis' health issues and the questionable fit, it never worked out, resulting in Dallas sending Porzingis to the Wizards midway through the 2021-22 campaign.
Porzingis' talent has never been a question. His durability has always been his main issue, and early on in his career, his attitude was a problem. However, Porzingis has clearly bought into Boston's system and has become an integral part of the Celtics' run this season.
The C's can probably win a title without Porzingis, but it will certainly be a heck of a lot more difficult.
We'll see if Porzingis can suit up and get on the floor in Game 3.
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