The Boston Celtics recently grabbed a 109-102 road win against the Cleveland Cavaliers to take a 3-1 lead in the Eastern Conference Semifinals series. Despite their winning form, the Celts have been without Kristaps Porzingis since the first-round Game 4 win against the Miami Heat. The injury-prone Center is still dealing with calf issues and his absence could be concerning for Boston fans going into Game 5 of the Semifinals.
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During the win against the Heat, Porzingis walked out of the court after a non-contact injury. Unfortunately, as per the latest official injury report, the Celtics center has been listed as ‘Out’ for tonight’s game at TD Garden as well due to his right soleus strain.
Milwaukee Bucks Forward Giannis Antetokounmpo also suffered a similar injury and missed all of his playoff battles since then. Thus, it is likely that ‘The Unicorn’ is going to be unavailable till further down the playoffs as well.
#NEBHInjuryReport for tomorrow vs. Cleveland:
Kristaps Porzingis (right soleus strain) – OUT
— Boston Celtics (@celtics) May 14, 2024
The Celtics do need his size and shooting chops in the middle, even though they have gotten the job done so far for the most part. They have won 4 out of their 5 postseason games without him, making up for a huge gap in the Center position. In the Regular Season as well, the team won 21 and lost 4 games without Porzingis, per StatMuse.
These numbers are a testament to the depth of the Celtics. However, we must consider that the road has been smooth so far for the Boston side. They will need KP to get past a team like the Nuggets in the NBA Finals. Prolonged absence can affect Porzingis’ performance in such a high-pressure series.
The Celtics remain the favorite in the Eastern Conference
The Celts have regained their mojo after a disappointing 24-point loss in Game 2 at home. However, they have taken advantage of a Cavs lineup devoid of their best scorer, Donovan Mitchell, and their two-way Center Jarrett Allen. Meanwhile, they defeated the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat in five games in Round 1. Thus, the team is yet to be tested in a meaningful way during the postseason.
There is a high chance that the squad closes the book on the Cavs in Game 5 and advances to the Eastern Conference Finals. They are most likely to face the New York Knicks in the ECF, another team that is short-handed and undersized compared to the Celtics. Therefore, it won’t be a surprise if the Green Machine make their second finals appearance within three seasons.
However, Celtics fans will not be satisfied with just a Finals appearance. They expect their squad to win it all. They have seen their team make deep playoff runs in the last decade, however, the squad hasn’t capitalized on them and has been without a title since 2008. Will the script change during the 2024 playoffs? The Celts will need to be healthy for that.
