Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Will undergo offseason surgery
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Porzingis said Monday after the Celtics' title-clinching 106-88 win over the Mavericks in Game 5 of the NBA Finals that he'll undergo offseason surgery to address his left leg injury, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
In Game 2 of the Finals, Porzingis suffered a torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon, a rare injury that carried an uncertain recovery timeline. After not playing in Games 3 and 4, Porzingis returned for Game 5 and handled a limited role, playing 16 minutes off the bench while contributing five points (2-4 FG, 0-2 3Pt, 1-2 FT) and one rebound. The Latvian big man said the offseason surgery will require a "few months" of recovery, so his status will be worth monitoring when training camp begins in late September or early October. Porzingis previously missed over five weeks of action earlier in the postseason due to a strained right calf.
Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Coming off bench in Game 5
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Porzingis (lower leg) will come off the bench for Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals versus the Mavericks.
Porzingis will again come off the bench for the Celtics, as he did in the first two NBA Finals games. In those two contests, Porzingis accumulated 32 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and an assist while shooting 12-for-20 from the field. Prior to Game 5, head coach Joe Mazzulla said Porzingis will not have any restrictions after sitting out the last two games due to a left posterior tibialis dislocation, but Al Horford will remain in the starting lineup Monday.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Expected to play in Game 5
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Coach Joe Mazzulla said to expect Porzingis (lower leg) to play in Game 5 of the NBA Finals against Dallas on Monday, Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News reports.
Porzingis was ruled out ahead of Game 3 after suffering a left posterior tibialis dislocation in the third quarter of Game 2. He got the green light for Game 4 but didn't see any playing time during the blowout loss. However, with the Celtics looking to close out the series at home, Porzingis won't have any restrictions, though it remains unclear if he'll be in the starting lineup. In Game 1, his first appearance after a 10-game absence due to a calf injury, Porzingis scored 20 points (8-13 FG) and blocked three shots in 21 minutes.
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Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Available for Game 5
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Porzingis (lower leg) is available for Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals versus the Mavericks.
Porzingis suffered a left posterior tibialis dislocation in the third quarter of Game 2 and was ruled out for Game 3. He was listed as available ahead of Game 4 but didn't see playing time in the blowout loss. The 28-year-old went through warmups before Game 5 and looked comfortable during light workouts with the Celtics' coaches and training staff. It is unclear whether coach Joe Mazzulla will put the big man to use, especially after saying he is not near 100 percent and would only be used sparingly before Game 4. Porzingis is available for Game 5, but with the Celtics holding a 3-1 series advantage, the team could limit his minutes severely, if he plays at all.
Celtics' Kristaps Porzingis: Questionable for Game 5
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Porzingis (lower leg) is questionable for Monday's Game 5 of the NBA Finals versus the Mavericks, Tim Bontemps of ESPN.com reports.
Porzingis is in jeopardy of missing his third consecutive game with a left posterior tibialis dislocation. The big man played in the first two games of the NBA Finals, accumulating 32 points, 10 rebounds, five blocks and an assist while shooting 12-for-20 from the field. Prior to Game 4, head coach Joe Mazzulla said that Porzingis is not 100 percent and he will only play if the Celtics desperately need him, which may not end up being the case with the team still holding a 3-1 series lead heading into Game 5 at home. If Porzingis remains sidelined, Al Horford and Xavier Tillman will continue seeing increased playing time.
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 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.
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.
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.
