The Boston Celtics have a chance to win their 18th championship in Game 4 of the 2024 NBA Finals on Friday night in Dallas, but one of the biggest question marks going into the matchup is the status of center Kristaps Porzingis.
Porzingis suffered a rare left leg injury in the third quarter of Game 2 against the Mavericks last Sunday and missed Game 3, but his availability for Game 4 is unclear.
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters on Friday that Porzingis will have his foot examined before the game and the team will then decide whether he will play.
“Yesterday was just a walk-through. He looked good,” Mazzulla said. “We'll see how he is today. We'll try him out before the game and then the medical team will make an assessment.”
The Celtics are 10-1 in the playoffs without Porzingis, but they are arguably the better team when he is available, and Games 1 and 2 of the series were evidence of that. In the first two games in Boston, Porzingis played 44 minutes and the Celtics outscored the Mavs by 25 points.
With Porzingis sidelined for Game 3, Mazzulla relied heavily on Al Horford and Xavier Tillman Sr. under center. If Porzingis sits out for Game 4, Horford and Tillman are expected to play key roles again.
