NBA
Why isn’t Kristaps Porzingis playing against the Cavs in Game 2 today?
The Cs, who lead the series 1-0, have been without their main rim protector for the last three games. He is Joe Mazzulla’s sole injury concern heading into tonight’s game at TD Garden.
The Boston Celtics head into tonight’s semi-final against the Cavaliers leading 1-0 and with the chance to extend their advantage in front of a home crowd tonight before the series moves to Cleveland. Joe Mazzulla’s team took the first game 120-95, and the coach will be delighted not just with how his team is performing but also how well they have managed without Kristaps Porzingis.
The Latvian center has missed Boston’s last three games with a calf muscle injury that he picked up in the last round. Porzingis retired at the end of the second quarter of Game 3 against the Heat, which the Celtics won 84-104. The towering 7′3″ center, who completed just 14 minutes of the game, was reported to be suffering tightness to his right calf muscle.
While Boston have not detailed the extent of Porzingis’ injury, and Mazzulla hasn’t given any fresh updates, it is believed that the player has suffered a sprain. If that is a the case, even in the best case scenario, a Grade I sprain would take 2-3 weeks to fully heal. Porzingis is ruled out for Game 2 against the Cavs but otherwise, Mazzulla has a full fit roster.
Porzingis’ ongoing fitness issues
The Latvian has struggled with his fitness throughout his career and his availability has been up and down since he joined Boston from the Wizards last June. He has been sidelined with diverse complaints including: hamstring, ankle, knee back and quad injuries. He played 57 games during the regular season, averaging 29.6 minutes per game.
An imposing figure in Boston’s defence Porzingis is the team’s main rim protector with a defensive rating of 108.6 this season. Mazzulla wants to have all of his key players fit for this crucial part of the season but insisted that he won’t be rushing anyone back if they are injured. The Cs have been progressing well in Porzingis’ absence.
The coach explained during the last round, “Nothing changes. Bringing the same mindset, intentionality, toughness, details to the next game, so who’s available, it doesn’t matter. There is no difference between the regular season and the playoffs. All year, we’ve had guys stepping in and playing so... The most important thing is execute the gameplan and bring the mindset and toughness it takes”.
For now, the coach will wait to see how the player responds to treatment. Porzingis is taking one step at a time. He returned to the court on Wednesday, joining the team’s practice for some light shooting without any strapping on his leg. He will be assessed again ahead of Game 3 on Saturday.