On June 9th in Game 2 of the NBA Finals, Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis suffered a torn retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibialis tendon, a rare injury which sidelined him for the next two games. This came in just his second game back from a calf strain, which he suffered in the first round of the playoffs against the Miami Heat. He missed considerable time during the playoffs, playing only seven of the Celtics’ 19 total games en route to their 18th banner.
While limited, Porzingis’s impact was on full display, making key plays with his size, range, and interior defense. He averaged 12.3 points, 4.4 boards, 1.1 assists, and 1.6 blocks in just 23.6 minutes per game with his averages taking a dive in games in which he sustained his injuries, as well as Game 5 of the Finals where Porzingis was clearly still feeling the effects of his injury while closing out the Mavericks.
It was known that Kristaps would require surgery to repair his injury, though he was assured that playing through it wouldn’t bring much risk of further damage. The concern was his ability to manage the pain before he was cleared to return to the court. He got the go-ahead to play in Game 4 of the Finals, but didn’t take the court until Game 5, where he came off the bench.
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