DALLAS — Boston Celtics forward Kristaps Porzingis arrived at media availability without a limp on Tuesday, yet his participation in Wednesday’s Game 3 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks remains uncertain due to a newly diagnosed lower leg injury. This injury is separate from the calf issue that sidelined him for over a month during the playoffs.
“It’s a serious injury,” Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla stated. “At the end of the day, the medical team will not put him in any bad situations. We’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands.”
The Celtics have officially listed Porzingis as questionable. Porzingis, maintaining a hopeful outlook, said, “I have to be optimistic,” but he admitted uncertainty about the specifics and risks associated with playing through what is reportedly a torn ligament. On Tuesday, the Celtics announced that Porzingis has a “torn medial retinaculum allowing dislocation of the posterior tibialis tendon in his left leg,” sustained at 3:27 of the third quarter in Game 2.
Porzingis averaged 16 points per game in the first two games of the series, which now shifts back to Dallas, where he played alongside Luka Doncic from 2019 to 2022 before being traded to the Wizards.
“I felt something, now I have to deal with it. It’s going to be day-to-day. We’ll see how I am tomorrow,” Porzingis said. “As I said, I will do everything I can to be out there.”
Porzingis dismissed concerns that the recent spate of injuries would affect him mentally, noting there is no connection between the injuries.
“This is a rough patch, having something happen right away. Tough moment right now,” he said. “But, I feel pretty good.”
In other injury news, Luka Doncic of the Mavericks is expected to receive a pain-killing injection before Game 3, similar to the one he had before Game 2 in Boston, according to ESPN. Doncic, who was listed as questionable for Game 2 due to leg, ankle, and chest injuries, delivered a stellar performance with 32 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists in 42 minutes.
“I feel good. I don’t want to get into any more details, but I feel good,” Doncic said when asked about his chest injury.
