The Boston Celtics have been without star big man Kristaps Porzingis since Game 4 of their first-round series against the Miami Heat, but fortunately for the Eastern Conference champions, he seems confident he'll return to the team soon. On Wednesday, Porzingis tweeted in his native Latvian, “Thank you to everyone for your support and sympathy throughout the season. I'll be back soon. See you in the Finals.” He also hinted at the end of the tweet that he plans to play for the Latvian national team in this summer's Olympic qualifying tournament.
Porzingis, who has been plagued by injuries throughout his career, played in 57 games for the Celtics this season. He tore his soleus, one of two calf muscles, in the first-round win over the Heat. He's been sidelined since then, and while it was reported at the time that he could return for the Eastern Conference Finals, that never happened. The NBA Finals will begin on Thursday, June 6, regardless of who wins the Western Conference, so Porzingis still has more than a week to recover.
The Dallas Mavericks are currently trailing the Minnesota Timberwolves 3-1 in the Western Conference Finals. If they win the series, Porzingis will face his former team, where he played from 2019 to 2022, in the NBA Finals. The Mavericks also have a star player who will be looking to get revenge on his former team in the Finals: Kyrie Irving, who played for the Celtics from 2017 to 2019.
The Celtics have come through the Eastern Conference largely unscathed despite Porzingis' absence. They went 12-2 against the Heat, Cleveland Cavaliers and Indiana Pacers, but all three were missing key players due to injuries for at least some of their games. The Mavericks and Timberwolves are much more of a threat. Porzingis' return will be important for either opponent, because his ability to score and protect the basket at all three levels will be essential against teams as rich in talent as these.
The Celtics didn't acquire Porzingis for the regular season or early playoffs, which is where they've mostly been over the past few seasons. They traded for him knowing they would need him at this exact point in the schedule. Porzingis is part of the Celtics for the Finals, and fortunately, he'll likely be back in time for the Finals as Boston seeks its 18th pennant.
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