The Boston Celtics needed a miracle three-pointed from Jaylen Brown to escape defeat in Game 1 of the Eastern Conference Finals against the Indiana Pacers. Despite an overtime win, the Celtics would be concerned about center Al Horford’s performance, who had a defensive rating of 116.9, the worst among Boston’s starters. He has held the fort in Kristap Porzingis‘ absence.
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The Latvian center suffered a calf injury in Boston’s Game 5 win over the Miami Heat and hasn’t featured since. The injury was officially diagnosed as a soleus strain and was expected to keep him sidelined for 2-3 weeks.
Kristaps Porzingis actually rolled his ankle and was already limping a couple possessions before his non-contact injury. Here's the sequence: pic.twitter.com/hP6SBlzKok
— Tomek Kordylewski (@Timi_093) April 30, 2024
However, it’s been almost four weeks and per the NBA’s latest injury report, he’s yet to receive the go-ahead to return to action. He is listed as ‘Out’ for Game 2 at TD Garden. While the team has held its fort in his absence, in the playoffs, they are surely missing his impact on both ends of the court.
When will Kristaps Porzingis return from injury?
Porzingis’ absence has been a frustrating situation for the Celtics, but head coach Joe Mazzulla and the medical staff are exercising patience with him. When asked for an update on his return, HC Mazzulla told Mass Live’s Brian Robb,
“He’s working hard every single day to make as fast as a recovery as he can. So he’s there for everything and it can’t go underestimated how hard he works, trying to come back in a timely fashion.”
While Mazzulla was non-committal on a return date for Porzingis, NBA insider Adrian Wojnarowski reported that the Latvian star is inching closer to a full recovery and could play in Game 4 in Indiana. The Celtics will have to cope for another couple of games without their starting center and hope it doesn’t cost them too dearly.
Boston has a defensive rating of 106.5 with Porzingis in the starting lineup and 110.5 without him in these playoffs. While Al Horford has been stellar for the franchise, the Celtics are a better team with the Latvian center in the lineup. They’d hope that he doesn’t suffer any further setbacks in his record and be available soon.
