After starring in Game 1 for the Celtics, Kristaps Porzingis appeared to tweak something in Game 2 of Boston's win over the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA Finals on Sunday.
Porzingis had 12 points and four rebounds in the second half, but he briefly left the sideline to go to the locker room and was cautious on the court. After the game, he acknowledged something was wrong. He will likely undergo imaging tests on Monday..
When asked after the game what the problem was, he didn't say exactly.
Porzingis didn't go into specifics about the injury, but said it wasn't related to his previous soleus injury, but that he just felt something and was a little limited afterward, adding that he would have died there and would be doing his best for G3. pic.twitter.com/eFbH4gbdcB
— Bobby Manning (@RealBobManning) June 10, 2024
“Obviously, something went wrong,” Porzingis said. “We'll have another couple of days off. Trust me, we'll do everything we can to get back and get going.”
When asked how tough it has been to play through the injury, he vowed emphatically that he intends to play in Game 3 on Wednesday in Dallas.
“It's not hard at all,” Porzingis continued. “I'll die out there if I have to.”
The 28-year-old Porzingis will be playing in his first NBA Finals in his eighth season in the NBA. The Celtics currently lead the Mavericks 2-0. Porzingis played more than one season with the Mavericks before joining the Washington Wizards midway through the 2021-22 season.
For Porzingis, making an impact on a championship team would help him rewrite the NBA's chaotic history. Porzingis entered the league in 2015 with high expectations as a first-time prospect with the New York Knicks. He produced statistically (19.7 points, 7.2 rebounds, 1.9 blocks, 37.5% 3-point shooting) and was named to the All-Star team, but he never developed into a superstar or contributed to any meaningful wins. Now he has a chance to erase the final blemish from his resume, and he seems eager to do so.
Porzingis' career has been plagued by injuries, missing 10 playoff games this season after suffering a calf injury in the first round against the Miami Heat. He returned in Game 1 against the Mavericks, recording 20 points, six rebounds, three blocks and two three-pointers in 21 minutes off the bench, and he is determined to play the series to the end.
Of course, injuries don't work that way. Scans will tell us more about his availability after Wednesday, but he seems confident in his condition. Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla echoed that sentiment, saying he's “not worried at all” about Porzingis' condition going forward.
“He's a good player,” Mazura said after the game.
