Kristaps Porzingis Ruled Out For Celtics-Heat Game 5; Injury Update Revealed
The Celtics missed starting center Kristaps Porzingis for the second half of Monday night’s Game 4 victory over the Heat, and 24 hours before returning home for Game 5, Boston made an unsurprising announcement.
Porzingis won’t suit up on Wednesday night and join the Celtics for their potential first-round series closeout battle at TD Garden, diagnosed with a right soleus strain, per a team-provided update. Boston took a 3-1 series lead, defeating Miami by double digits (102-88) for the second straight time on the road, all while only getting 14 minutes of Porzingis’ presence on the floor.
In the second quarter, Porzingis stepped on Heat guard Tyler Herro’s foot, which presumably caused the injury. Several possessions later, Porzingis signaled to Boston’s bench for a substitute and walked off the floor in pain while clenching the collar of his jersey. The 28-year-old didn’t speak with the media afterward, however, Porzingis was spotted wearing a walking boot as the team exited Kaseya Center in Miami.
“We saw Giannis (Antetokounmpo) with a non-contact calf injury. He’s been out three weeks and counting,” The Athletic’s Shams Charania noted during FanDuel’s “Run It Back” show on Tuesday.
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Porzingis missed 25 games during the regular season, managing minor injuries in preparation for the postseason. Boston had no issue picking up the slack, utilizing its bench depth, whether through Al Horford, Luke Kornet, or Neemias Queta.
ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski reported that Porzingis should be expected to miss “several games” before return talks re-enter the conversation.
“(I was) worried, you know. Just concerned,” Celtics teammate Al Horford said after Game 4, per CNLS Media. “Anytime that any of your guys go back, especially him, the way he was walking, it was definitely concerning for me.”
Horford continued: “I’m hoping that it’s nothing serious and that he can get back to us quick.”
On Nov. 24, Porzingis suffered a left calf strain amid Boston’s In-Season Tournament matchup with the Orlando Magic, prompting a four-game break. Following that cautious leave of absence, Porzingis averaged 22.9 points on 52.1% shooting with 8.1 rebounds through his next 10 appearances.
There could be a similar approach toward handling this potentially minor setback with Porzingis as the Celtics are still very early in their playoff run.