Porzingis (lower leg) is available to play in Game 4 of the NBA Finals against Dallas on Friday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
After missing Game 3 with a left posterior tibialis dislocation, Porzingis was able to warm up without any setbacks and will play through his questionable tag Friday evening. However, coach Joe Mazulla admitted that Porzingis isn't close to 100 percent and that the Celtics will use him sparingly and only if necessary.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Warming up Friday
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Porzingis (lower leg) was out on the court warming up ahead of Game 4 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Friday.
Porzingis is still officially listed as questionable after missing Game 3 with a left posterior tibialis dislocation. While an official determination of Porzingis' status will likely be made closer to tipoff at 8:30 ET, he seems to be moving well, which bodes well for his availability moving forward in the series.
Porzingis (lower leg) is listed as questionable for Game 4 of the NBA Finals on Friday, Jared Weiss of The Athletic reports.
Porzingis is in danger of missing his second straight contest Friday after sitting out Game 3 with a left posterior tibialis dislocation. However, Porzingis was seen going through shootaround Thursday, and it is a good sign that Boston hasn't ruled him out for the series. If Porzingis remains sidelined, Al Horford and Xavier Tillman will likely continue to receive increased playing time.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Goes through shootaround
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Porzingis (lower leg) was seen shooting around during Thursday's practice, Jay King of The Athletic reports.
The Celtics have yet to release an official injury report for Game 4 on Friday after Porzingis missed Game 3 with a left posterior tibialis dislocation. While it's still unclear if the 28-year-old big man will be able to suit up, it seems as though he will have at least a chance of playing again in the NBA Finals. If Porzingis is ultimately deemed available, he will likely continue to serve as Boston's backup center behind Al Horford.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Hopes to play in Game 4
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Coach Joe Mazzula said Thursday that Porzingis (lower leg) is getting better and "fighting hard" to play in Game 4 on Friday, Jay King of The Athletic reports.
Porzingis didn't play in Game 3 due to a left posterior tibialis dislocation and is in danger of missing the remainder of the NBA Finals. However, if Porzingis is able to suit up, he will provide a big boost to Boston's frontcourt, as he averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks in 22.0 minutes across the first two games of the series.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Could miss rest of Finals
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The Celtics have "real doubt" that Porzingis (lower leg) will be able to return to action at any point during the NBA Finals matchup against the Mavericks, Adrian Wojnarowski reported prior to Wednesday's Game 3 on ESPN's NBA Countdown.
Porzingis was initially labeled questionable for Wednesday's game due to a left posterior tibialis dislocation but wasn't cleared by the Celtics' medical staff ahead of the contest. The 28-year-old voiced his willingness to do whatever it took to play leading up to Wednesday's tilt, but he may not be medically cleared to suit up before the series ends. Porzingis had missed 10 straight games before the NBA Finals with a calf strain that's unrelated to his lower leg injury, but he was a key contributor off the bench in the Celtics' Games 1 and 2 wins. Al Horford should continue to start at center while Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Oshae Brissett are candidates to see action behind Horford. Porzingis should be viewed as questionable, at best, leading up to Friday's Game 4.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Ruled out for Game 3
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Porzingis has been ruled out for Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Wednesday due to a left posterior tibialis dislocation.
Porzingis played through the pain for a couple of minutes after suffering the injury during the third quarter of Game 2 on Sunday and was doing everything he could to suit up for Game 3, but the medical staff is shutting him down for at least one game. When Porzingis was sidelined earlier in the postseason, Luke Kornet, Xavier Tillman and Oshae Brissett were part of the rotation at times. However, Al Horford will continue to start at center and should be the biggest beneficiary of Porzingis' absence. Porzingis can be considered day-to-day ahead of Friday's Game 4 in Dallas.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable for Game 3
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Porzingis (lower leg) is questionable for Game 3 of the NBA Finals versus the Mavericks on Wednesday, Justin Turpin of WEEI.com reports.
Porzingis was seen walking around with a sleeve on his left ankle during media availability but seemed to be in good spirits, as he has stated he will do everything he can to play in Game 3, Malika Andrews of ESPN.com reports. While the 28-year-old has told reporters he wants to play, it is ultimately up to the Celtics' medical staff to determine whether or not Porzingis will be cleared in time for Wednesday after suffering a torn medial retinaculum in the third quarter of Game 2. Porzingis has missed 10 games this postseason due to an unrelated right calf strain, accumulating 32 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and an assist while shooting 12-for-20 from the field across two games since his return. For now, there is no indication Porzingis will be ruled out for Game 3, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Considered day-to-day
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The Celtics announced Tuesday that Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg during the third quarter of Boston's 105-98 win over Dallas in the NBA Finals on Sunday, Marc D'Amico of the team's official site reports. Porzingis is considered day-to-day ahead of Wednesday's Game 3.
The injury Porzingis suffered in Game 2 is unrelated to the calf strain that kept him out for 10 straight postseason games before he returned for the opening game of the NBA Finals. However, his availability for Game 3 is still in doubt. The Celtics will release their official injury report later Tuesday, when further clarity on Porzingis' status will be provided. Porzingis scored 20 points (8-13 FG) in 21 minutes during his return from the 10-game absence in Game 1, and he continued to excel in Game 2 before being taken out, posting 12 points (4-7 FG), four rebounds and two blocks in 23 minutes.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: No concern regarding calf issue
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Coach Joe Mazzulla said after Sunday's win over the Mavericks that he isn't concerned about Porzingis' calf heading into Wednesday's Game 3, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis logged 12 points (4-7 FG, 0-3 3Pt, 4-4 FT), four rebounds, two blocks and an assist in 23 minutes during Sunday's victory, but he exited the matchup with 4:40 remaining and didn't return. He appeared to be getting his calf looked at on the team's bench area, but the issue isn't expected to be a concern as the NBA Finals roll on.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Coming off bench in Game 2
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Porzingis will come off the bench in Game 2 of the NBA Finals on Sunday versus the Mavericks, Malika Andrews of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis returned for Game 1 of the NBA Finals after suffering a right soleus strain in Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series against the Heat. The 28-year-old left his mark off the bench in Game 1, putting up 20 points, six rebounds and three blocks across 21 minutes in a blowout victory. Al Horford will retain his role in the starting lineup, though his minutes will likely decrease, as Porzingis' role is expected to grow as the Celtics look to take Game 2 at home.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Shines off bench in return
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Porzingis closed with 20 points (8-13 FG, 2-4 3Pt, 2-2 FT), six rebounds and three blocks across 21 minutes during Thursday's 107-89 victory over the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals.
Head coach Joe Mazzulla wanted Porzingis to come off the bench in the first game of the Finals, and the star power forward responded admirably in his first taste of competitive action since April 29. It remains to be seen if Porzingis will move to the starting unit for Game 2 on Sunday or if he'll again come off the bench, but either way, his shooting ability and length on defense could be majors factors in the series, as was the case Thursday.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Coming off bench in Game 1
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Porzingis will come off the bench in Game 1 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Thursday.
Head coach Joe Mazulla said that Porzingis wasn't going to have any minutes restriction in Game 1, but the team opted to play it safe with his conditioning level, and he'll come off the bench. That decision makes sense given that Porzingis hasn't played since logging 14 minutes in the 102-88 win over the Heat on April 29 in Game 4 of the first-round series. For Game 1 of the Finals, Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup, though he's still expected to experience a downgrade in his minutes as Porzingis sees action off the bench.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Won't have minutes restriction
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Coach Joe Mazulla said that Porzingis will not have any minutes restrictions in Game 1 versus the Mavericks on Thursday, Steven Bulpett of the Boston Herald reports.
Mazulla added that he hasn't yet decided if KP will start, but it sounds like Porzingis will be a full-go for Game 1 of the Finals. His return will result in fewer minutes for Xavier Tillman and Al Horford.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Says he'll play Game 1 of Finals
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Porzingis (calf) said he will play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against Dallas on Thursday, Souichi Terada of The Springfield Republican reports.
This has been the expectation for several days after Porzingis was able to take part in multiple scrimmages at Boston's recent practices. Per Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com, Porzingis said it's still "open" when it comes to what his conditioning level will be after being limited to light on-court work. Porzingis hasn't played since Game 4 of the opening-round matchup versus Miami and averaged 14.0 points, 5.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.0 blocks and 1.7 steals in 30.3 minutes over the first three matchups of that series.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Probable for Game 1
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Porzingis (calf) is expected to play in Game 1 of the NBA Finals against the Mavericks on Thursday, Shams Charania of The Athletic reports.
Porzingis has managed to participate in multiple scrimmages in recent days without any setbacks. He hasn't played since Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series versus Miami on April 29, so it will be interesting to see how many minutes he can handle to open the series against Dallas.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Limited at Friday's practice
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Coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis (calf) participated in a couple of drills during Friday's practice and is pleased with where the big man is at in his rehab progress, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis was still mostly limited to individual shooting drills during the media portion of Friday's practice, but he looked to be moving well. He hasn't played since Game 4 of the Celtics' opening-round series versus Miami on April 29, so Porzingis will likely need to get at least a few days of 5-on-5 work in before getting full clearance for game action. The Celtics face the Mavericks in Game 1 of the NBA Finals next Thursday, June 6, giving Porzingis ample time to increase his activity.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Making good progress
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Coach Joe Mazzulla said Wednesday on the Zo and Bertrand Show that Porzingis (calf) is "ramping up the intensity level" ahead of the NBA Finals, but the big man's status for Game 1 remains to be determined.
The Celtics are waiting on the winner of the Western Conference Finals between the Mavericks and Timberwolves, but it sounds like Porzingis has a shot to return early on in the NBA Finals. There are likely to be daily updates on Porzingis' status, but Boston fans have reason to be optimistic based on Muzzulla's update.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Ruled out for Game 4
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Porzingis (calf) has been ruled out for Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Pacers on Monday, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis was initially targeting a return to action for Game 4, but he'll remain sidelined with the Celtics holding a 3-0 lead in the series. If the Pacers win Game 4, it's unclear whether Porzingis will be able to return later in the Eastern Conference Finals or if he'll be available for a potential trip to the NBA Finals.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Targeting Game 4 return
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Porzingis (calf) won't play in Thursday's Game 2 or Saturday's Game 3 against the Pacers but could return as soon as Game 4 of the Eastern Conference Finals on May 27, Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN reports.
Porzingis, who hasn't played since April 29 due to a right calf strain, has already been ruled out for Game 1 on Tuesday and is slated to miss at least a few more games. In Porzingis' absence, Al Horford should continue to start at center for Boston, with Luke Kornet receiving extended playing time off the bench.
