DALLAS — Boston Celtics star center Kristaps Porzingis has ruptured a tendon in his left leg, and his condition is evolving day by day, with it unclear whether he will be able to play in Game 3 of the NBA Finals.
The Celtics announced the injury, saying Porzingis suffered a “torn medial retinaculum and dislocated posterior tibial tendon” in his left leg, a torn tendon near the ankle. Boston called the injury “rare” and said Porzingis had seen numerous specialists.
According to the National Library of Medicine, the “vast majority” of such cases are resolved with surgery.
“It’s a serious injury,” Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla said before practice in Dallas, “and he’s doing everything he can to be ready for tomorrow’s game. … At the end of the day, our team and our medical team aren’t going to put him in a bad situation, so we made the decision to just take it out of his hands and play.”
“I’m going to do everything I can to be there tomorrow,” said Porzingis, who averaged 12.5 points and 5.0 rebounds off the bench in the finals.
“I’m certainly (optimistic), I have to be,” Porzingis said.
The team said the new injury is not related to the calf injury that caused Porzingis to miss 10 games early in the playoffs. Patients who don’t get the level of care the Celtics are receiving, when dealing with Porzingis’ injuries, typically go undiagnosed for long periods of time, according to the National Library of Medicine. Those patients may think they have a sprained ankle or, according to the National Library of Medicine, a benign muscle tumor around the ankle.
The Celtics lead the series 2-0, with Game 3 scheduled for Wednesday at 8:30 p.m. ET at the American Airlines Center in Dallas.
Meanwhile, Dallas star Luka Doncic insisted he’s had “enough” chest pains and outlined the main underlying issue that has the Mavericks trailing 2-0 in the NBA Finals.
Doncic is a prolific scorer, averaging 31 points per game in both losses to the Celtics and clearly the best scorer for both teams. He was in so much pain with a chest contusion in Sunday’s 105-98 loss that he said after the game he wasn’t sure if he would be able to play. A league source said Doncic received a painkiller injection before Game 2 and may need another injection before Game 3.
Asked Tuesday about his health, Doncic said: “I’m feeling good. I don’t want to go into any more detail, but I’m feeling good.”
Doncic also said the Mavericks’ main problem in this series is “just not scoring much.”
Dallas will have to improve their shooting numbers if they want to get back to the Finals. The Mavs have a .445 shooting percentage as a team, but their 3-point shooting (.245) and, even worse, their free throw shooting (.651) aren’t at championship levels.
The Celtics boasted the highest-rated defense in the playoffs (107.6 points per 100 possessions, most of the time without Porzingis on the court) and the second-best defense during the regular season.
“I think we have some great opportunities,” Doncic said. “Like I said before, I’m confident on our team that everybody can make shots, so we just have to keep believing that.”
(Photo by Adam Glanzman/Getty Images)
