(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)
After missing the majority of the NBA playoffs due to a calf strain, veteran scorer Kristaps Porzingis made his triumphant return to the basketball floor for the Boston Celtics in Game 1 of the NBA Finals at TD Garden.
Although no one knew what to expect from Porzingis after missing so much time, the 28-year-old played surprisingly well in his return, with no signs of rust, as he scored 20 points off the bench and helped Boston get an 18-point win over the Dallas Mavericks.
With Porzingis playing at a high level and the Celtics getting contributions from everyone in the starting lineup, Boston looked like they could go on to win this best-of-seven series with relative ease, as they seemed like the better all-around team compared to Dallas.
Fortunately for Boston, the team was able to secure a second straight win in Game 2 before the series shifts to the American Airlines Center for Game 3 in Dallas on Wednesday night.
Despite a positive outlook for Boston in this series, the team was given some potentially devastating news on Tuesday that Porzingis is dealing with a rare injury suffered in Game 2 that has put his status for Game 3 in doubt, which sparked this reaction from the Celtics star, per Noa Dalzell.
“I am, of course,” Porzingis said. “I have to be. I’m optimistic, and as I said, I will do everything I can to be out there tomorrow.”
Kristaps Porzingis asked about whether he’s optimistic about his Game 3 availability:
“I am, of course. I have to be. I’m optimistic, and as I said, I will do everything I can to be out there tomorrow.”
— Noa Dalzell (@NoaDalzellNBA) June 11, 2024
Even though Porzingis claims he’s optimistic about playing on Wednesday in Dallas, Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla claims this is a serious injury, which could require him to miss time, if not the rest of the Finals.
Without Porzingis, the Celtics are still a dominant squad and arguably the team to beat in this series, but it does give the Mavericks some hope that they might be able to get back into this series over the next two games.
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