Boston center Kristaps Porzingis will be available to play in Game 4 against the host Dallas Mavericks on Friday night as the Celtics look to sweep the NBA Finals.
Celtics coach Joe Mazzulla told reporters before the game that Porzingis — who is listed as questionable — would only play if necessary and would “only be used in specific instances.”
Porzingis, 28, missed Game 3 on Wednesday night due to a lower left leg injury suffered in the third quarter of Game 2.
Even with Porzingis playing in the first two games of the Finals, Al Horford started all three games at center.
Porzingis had missed Boston’s 10 games leading up to the Finals due to a calf strain, but he returned for Games 1 and 2 against Dallas, helping the Celtics build a 2-0 series lead. However, at the 3:27 mark of the third quarter of Game 2 on Sunday, Porzingis sustained a dislocation of his left posterior tibialis tendon.
The new injury has no relation to the calf strain.
In the first two games of the Finals, Porzingis averaged 16.0 points, 5.0 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. He played 21 minutes in Game 1 and 23 in Game 2, coming off the bench both times.
Porzingis had averages of 20.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks across 57 games (all starts) during the regular season. Boston acquired the big man in a trade with the Washington Wizards this past offseason.
Porzingis also played for the Mavericks from 2019-22.
Boston is one win from breaking a tie with the Los Angeles Lakers for the most NBA titles with No. 18.
–Field Level Media
