The Boston Celtics earned a statement win, 143-110, on the strength of a historic shooting performance on the road versus the Miami Heat. The good vibes dampened a bit, however, after one of their core players sustained a potentially concerning injury.

Kristaps Porzingis suffered a left ankle sprain while contesting a shot in the third quarter and limped to the locker room. He was immediately listed doubtful to return, per The Athletic's Jay King, but did come back to the Celtics' bench at the start of the final frame. The Latvian native was eventually ruled out, finishing with 19 points and four rebounds.

While it is good to see the former All-Star quickly rejoin the team, fans are always going to worry whenever he picks up an injury. Porzingis has played 65 or more games in a regular season only three times in his nine-year career and has missed 12 already this year, with more possibly to follow after this setback. If the 28-year-old center is once again forced to weather lingering health problems going into the playoffs, Boston's championship chances will presumably decrease by a significant amount.

Health could be Celtics' biggest and only obstacle to reaching NBA Finals

Questions about the Celtics' bench depth become far more noticeable if one of their high-quality starters is sidelined. The supporting players are certainly showing up in South Beach, however. Luke Kornet, whose role will increase if Kristaps Porzingis misses any time, had 12 points on 4-of-4 shooting. Point guard Payton Pritchard was also in double figures (11 points) and veteran Al Horford posted an efficient outing that included eight points, seven rebounds and six assists.

Jayson Tatum scored a game-high 26, as Boston tallied a mind-blowing 63.7 shooting percentage (22-of-40 on 3-pointers). The C's sent an emphatic message to its rival but now turn their attention to the health of their valuable offseason acquisition.

Follow ClutchPoints for the latest news regarding Porzingis' status for Saturday's home game against the Los Angeles Clippers.