Celtics update Kristaps Porzingis’ status after ‘serious’ and ‘rare’ injury suffered

After suffering a calf injury in Game 4 of the Boston Celtics’ first-round playoff series against the Miami Heat, Kristaps Porzingis injured his leg again in Game 2 of the NBA Finals against the Dallas Mavericks.

Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla weighed in on Porzingis’ injury and called it “serious.”

Porzingis contributed on both ends of the court in Boston’s NBA Finals wins in Games 1 and 2. In Game 1, he was arguably the team’s best player, as he totaled 20 points on 8-of-13 shooting from the field and 2-of-4 from deep while also contributing six rebounds and three blocks.

Part of what makes Porzingis’ Game 1 stats so impressive is the fact that he logged just over 20 minutes of playing time, meaning he scored practically one point per minute against his former team. Plus, the Latvian had been sidelined for more than a month with his soleus strain in his right calf before taking the floor for the first game of the championship series.

The 28-year-old wasn’t as dominant in Game 2 as he was in Game 1, but he still ended up with 12 points — the fifth-most of any Celtic — four rebounds and a pair of blocks.

The Celtics are seemingly now in jeopardy of having to once again adjust to life without Porzingis in Wednesday’s Game 3, though Porzingis claims that the only reason he won’t play is if the team’s medical staff won’t allow him to take the court.

On the bright side for Celtics fans, the team has fared at an incredibly high level on the road this postseason. While the squad has dropped multiple games at home in the 2024 NBA Playoffs, Boston has yet to lose away from home.

In the Celtics’ previous series against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals, Boston won Games 3 and 4 in Indiana by three points each to complete their sweep.

Celtics fans are surely hoping that Porzingis will suit up for the critical Game 3, as Boston has the potential to take a 3-0 series lead with a win, and no team in NBA playoff history has come back to win a series after trailing 0-3.