The Boston Celtics have been without starting center Kristaps Porzingis for several weeks. He was injured in Game 4 of the team’s first-round series against the Miami Heat, back on April 29th.
Dealing with an injury to his right calf, the Boston Celtics knew they would be without Kristaps Porzingis for some time. Rumors were swirling that he could return to the lineup for Game 4 against the Indiana Pacers in the Eastern Conference Finals.
However, with the team rolling, there was no reason to push it. Boston swept Indiana, giving Kristaps Porzingis more than another week to recover. The NBA Finals aren’t set to begin until June 6th, when the Boston Celtics will face off against one of his former teams, the Dallas Mavericks.
On Friday, the team provided a very positive update on his status. He participated in the team’s practice, the first since the Eastern Conference Finals ended. Head coach Joe Mazzulla shared that he is happy with the progress being made.
“He’s getting better,” Mazzulla said at the team’s facility. “He’s out there shooting. Went through a couple of drills in practice. So, progressing well and kind of confident where he’s at right now.”
Throughout the regular season, and in the four playoff games he participated in, Kristaps Porzingis was an important piece to the team’s success. He anchored their defense with his rim protection and is as good of a No. 3 option as any team has in the NBA.
Despite not having him in the lineup, the Boston Celtics had little struggles continuing their success. They have gone 9-1 without him, as the only loss came in a game that Boston shot 41.3 percent overall and 22.9 percent from 3-point range.
Mazzulla didn’t give anything away when it comes to a timeline for Kristaps Porzingis to return or chances he is in the lineup for Game 1. But, he was moving well in the portion of practice open to the media.
He wasn’t doing much, taking some movement 3-pointers, but there was no limp or hitch in his step. The talented two-way big man is certainly trending in the right direction to be in the starting line Game 1 against the Mavericks next week.
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