With a 2-0 series lead, the Celtics will take on the Mavericks in Game 3 of the NBA Finals on Wednesday, but they will be without one of their key players.
Just before tip-off in Game 3, the Celtics declared Kristaps Porzingis out due to a calf strain he sustained in Game 2. Porzingis had only recently returned from a month-long absence from the court.
Known as a “left posterior tibialis dislocation,” the injury was classified as “serious” by Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla when he met to media on Tuesday. It was sustained in the third quarter of Game 2 during a collision with Mavericks center Dereck Lively II while attempting to box out for a rebound.Tim Bontemps of ESPN reports that Porzingis will continue to be categorized as “day-to-day.”
Through Mazzulla, Bontemps also stated that “it was determined that Porzingis wasn’t good enough to play in this game after the medical team watched him go through some testing.”
The 107-89 victory in Game 1 was made possible by Porzingis, who scored 20 points in just 21 minutes while also grabbing three rebounds and blocks.
Before that, a “right soleus strain” he suffered in Game 4 of Boston’s first-round series against the Heat caused the 28-year-old Latvian to miss more than a month of the team’s postseason run. Without him, the Celtics were still able to progress, defeating the Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
Nevertheless, Dallas will feel his loss. By acquiring him in the off-season through a trade with the Wizards, the Celtics were able to expand their offensive capabilities and end up with the best regular season record in the NBA (64-18).
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