Why isn’t Kristaps Porzingis playing against the Pacers in game 3 today?

The Boston Celtics continued their march through the playoffs beating the Pacers 126-110 on Thursday to go 0-2 up in the series and put themselves just a couple of steps away from the NBA final. Joe Mazzulla’s team have been irrepressible throughout the postseason - out the 12 games played so far, the Cs have lost just two (curiously, on both occasions, losing Game 2 in the previous rounds to the Heat and the Cavs respectively). They have been without Kristaps Porzingis for the last eight games but the Latvian center is on the mend and hopes to be back at some point during the current series.

What injury is Porzingis recovering from?

The Celtics have had to cope without KP for almost a month. The Latvian center suffered a calf muscle injury in Round 1, Game 4, limping off court at the end of the second quarter against the Heat. At the time, Porzingis was reported to be suffering tightness to his right calf muscle but it appears the injury was a little more serious than first thought.

While Boston have not given any specific details about Porzingis’ injury, and Mazzulla hasn’t given any fresh updates, it is believed that the player suffered a sprain or a tear. KP is ruled out of Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final but Boston are keeping their fingers crossed that their chief rim protector will be available for Game 4 on Monday. Porzingis returned to the team’s practice a fortnight ago but has been working out apart from his team mates, taking one step at a time. He has traveled with the team to Indianapolis which is a positive sign.

The imposing 7′3″ center is not the only player on Boston’s injury list – Luke Kornet, who returned for the first two games of this series after missing the first 10 games with a sprained right calf muscle, is now listed as Day-to-Day after spraining his left wrist in Thursday’s win over the Pacers.

Porzingis’ ongoing injury issues

KP 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 a diverse range of injuries, sprains and knocks including: hamstring, ankle, knee back and quad injuries. He played 57 games during the 2023-24 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 insists he won’t be rushing anyone back if they succumb to injury. The Cs have been performing perfectly well in Porzingis’ absence.

Game 3 of the Eastern Conference final between the Indiana Pacers and the Boston Celtics will be played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse, Indianapolis on Saturday 25 May, tipping off at 8.30 p.m. ET / 5.30 p.m. PT.