The Boston Celtics won Game 2 of the 2024 NBA Finals with 105-98 victory over the Dallas Mavericks, but the victory may have come at a cross. The team announced Tuesday that big man Kristaps Porzingis suffered an injury during the third quarter of Game 2. He is currently listed as day-to-day, and his status for Game 3 is unclear.
The team issued a statement saying Porzingis had twin ailments in his left foot, and is dealing with a torn medial retinaculum that led to the dislocation of the posterior tibialis muscle. Porzingis missed several weeks with a calf strain in his right leg, and the two injuries are not related. Nonetheless, it creates a new challenge for Boston. The Celtics lead the finals 2-0, but the next two games are on the road in Dallas. Picking up road wins without Porzingis’ unique blend of offense and defense could prove difficult. That said, the Celtics have gone 30-5 without Porzingis during the regular season and playoffs.
Porzingis spoke with reporters during a previously scheduled media session on Tuesday in Dallas. He outlined his optimism for the next few games.
“It’s kind of a random situation,” Porzingis told reporters. “I felt something, and now I have to deal with it.”
The specific injury is a plantar tear in his foot, a tissue that holds other pieces of the foot, heel, and ankle in place. The muscle beneath, the posterior tibialis, helps with balance among other things. It’s a rare injury.
“As we said, it’s going to be day-to-day,” Kristaps added. “And I’ll see how I am tomorrow, and obviously I’m going to do everything I can to be out there tomorrow, and we’ll see.”
Porzingis hasn’t yet been ruled out for Game 3 Wednesday night. During Tuesday’s media availability, he was seen walking around without a boot, though he did have a small brace on, according to ESPN’s Tim Bontemps.
After missing so much time with a soleus strain in his other leg, this is a demoralizing setback for Porzingis and the Celtics. He struck a confident tone when asked about his emotions following this latest injury.
“I don’t care,” Porzingis said. “I’ve been through some stuff in my career, and obviously this is a rough patch coming back and having something happen right away again. It’s tough. But I’m feeling pretty good. I’m feeling pretty good. (My) mind is good. We’ll see tomorrow.”
Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla also spoke Tuesday. He told reporters the medical staff will make any determinations about whether or not Porzingis is available for Game 3.
“Listen,” Mazzulla said. “He’s doing anything and everything he can to be ready for the game tomorrow. It’s a serious injury. At the end of the day, our team and the medical team is not going to put him in any bad situations.
“We’ve taken the decision to play out of his hands,” Mazzulla added. “He’s going to do everything he can to play. We’re going to leave it up to our medical team. That’s really it.”
Porzingis explained he understood the situation. He relayed that he would honor the advice and decision-making of the Celtics medical staff, even if he wants to play no matter what.
“I don’t know,” Porzingis said. “I don’t know the specifics. But that’s something I’ll leave in the medical staff’s hands to determine whether I can go or not.”
“But from my side,” He added. “Nothing is going to stop me unless I’m told I’m not allowed to play. That’s the only reason I would not be out there.”
Listen to the “Celtics Lab” podcast on:
Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3zBKQY6
Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3GfUPFi
YouTube: https://bit.ly/3F9DvjQ
