Boston Celtics fans on Sunday held their collective breath when Kristaps Porzingis was pulled early from Game 2 of the NBA Finals.
Porzingis suffered an injury scare midway through the fourth quarter with the Celtics up 95-83 against the Dallas Mavericks at TD Garden in Boston, Mass. Porzingis was knocked over by Mavericks forward PJ Washington as the two battled for a rebound.
This is the play where it looks like Kristaps Porzingis aggravated his calf
Will be interesting moving forward how this affects him pic.twitter.com/mBVjuyEFmx
— Dr. Evan Jeffries, DPT (@GameInjuryDoc) June 10, 2024
Porzingis hobbled up and down the floor over the next few possessions. The Celtics star’s limp was so noticeable that ESPN announcer Doris Burke repeatedly pointed it out during the broadcast.
Porzingis was subbed out of the contest just two minutes later and did not return. While on the bench, Porzingis was seen using a resistance band to stretch out his left calf.
Kristaps Porzingis is off the floor, seemingly working on his calf. pic.twitter.com/pxOpKk05tW
— Mike Leslie (@MikeLeslieWFAA) June 10, 2024
During his postgame press conference, Mazzulla was asked about the “level of concern” regarding Porzingis’ injury status. The 35-year-old coach gave a succinct response.
“Nah, zero. He’s good,” Mazzulla answered.
"Zero. He's good."
Joe Mazzulla says he is not concerned at all about Kristaps Porzingis' injury in Game 2 pic.twitter.com/L5sqtXhk83
— Celtics on NBC Sports Boston (@NBCSCeltics) June 10, 2024
Porzingis scored 12 points to go along with 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in the Celtics’ 105-98 Game 2 win.
Porzingis returned to Boston’s lineup in the NBA Finals after having missed 10 postseason games due to a calf strain he suffered in April. the Celtics big man returned with a vengeance to help fuel a Game 1 Boston win, posting 20 points, 6 rebounds, and 3 blocks off the Celtics’ bench.
