Injuries have been a huge headache for Boston Celtics big man Kristaps Porzingis in the playoffs. Just when he managed to return to action after missing two rounds in the postseason, Porzingis suffered another injury that caused him to miss Game 3 of the 2024 NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks on the road.
Kristaps Porzingis’ status ahead of Game 4 of Boston Celtics vs. Dallas Mavericks
However, the door is still open for Porzingis to play in Game 4 on Friday if he improves enough before the potential title-clinching meeting with the Mavericks, per Shams Charania of The Athletic during an appearance on Thursday’s edition of FanDuel’s Run It Back.
“I’m told there is a chance Kristaps Porzingis plays in Game 4. He’s got that torn medial retinaculum. That’s a two-part injury. I got a little bit more information about last night it’s really some swelling that’s developed in around that ankle area, but he is moving and he is doing workouts and he worked out yesterday.
The Celtics medical staff just did not feel like he was really gonna be ready for a game-like environment, but he did work out and he is he’s expected to do more today, do more Friday, and as long as his movements are the way that the Celtics medical staff wants to be ,he does have a chance to play potentially in Game 4.”
Porzingis certainly wants to play in Game 4, but that will depend on what the Celtics’ medical team says.
If he gets ultimately ruled out, the Celtics will likely start veteran Al Horford anew. Horford had eight points, five rebounds, two assists, and two steals in Boston’s 106-99 win in Game 3.
Porzingis gave the Celtics a tremendous boost in Game 1 when he scored 20 points off the bench, including 11 in the first period. In Game 2, he had 12 points in 23 minutes.
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