Report: Kristaps Porzingis will likely miss beginning of ECF, could return later in series
The Celtics center was injured in Game 4 against the Miami Heat, and missed the entire second-round series against Cleveland.
While there is hope that Kristaps Porzingis will return to the Celtics at some point in the Eastern Conference finals, it’s unlikely he’ll play in Games 1 and 2, according to ESPN’s Adrian Wojnarowski.
The latest report comes two days after Boston discarded the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games during the second round of the NBA Playoffs.
Porzingis suffered a calf injury during Game 4 of the Celtics’ opening-round matchup against the Miami Heat. There was a long period of rest between Boston’s first-round and its second-round series against the Cavaliers, and now thanks to the Knicks-Pacers series extending, Boston will get another lengthy rest period prior to the Eastern Conference finals.
That should aid Porzingis’s chances of returning to the floor later in the third-round series. Wojnarowski reported that the optimism for the Celtics’ big man returning is barring any setbacks in his rehab. Porzingis was seen at Boston’s shootaround in Cleveland participating in more drills prior to Game 4 of the second-round series.
The Celtics were careful not to set an official timetable for Porzingis to return, although Porzingis said he hoped to return at a “historic rate.”
His injury is similar to the one Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered which sidelined him from the Bucks’ opening-round playoff series loss.
Boston is 5-1 in the postseason since Porzingis’s injury. If he misses Games 1 and 2 of the Eastern Conference finals, his potential target date could be May 25. Of course, the Celtics’ performance in the first two games could dictate how willing the team is to give their star extra rest after that.
With or without Porzingis, Boston is set to open the ECF at home on Tuesday. Its opponent will be decided either on Friday night, or if necessary, a Sunday afternoon Game 7 between New York and Indiana. The Knicks lead that series, 3-2.
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